WordWolf

I'd say, currently, LESS than 3000. When we discussed it before, the "5000" figure was derived as the maximum number of people that they could count-thus including children-at the time they derived the figure. That was several years ago by now. twi has been experiencing "negative population growth" since 1989 if not sooner. Let me break it down for the average schmoe. Are new people joining twi? I suppose, somewhere, someone is joining now. That's true of almost every organization active now. Are old people leaving twi? Yes. That's true of almost every organization active now. So, population is measured by 2 things: the actual number of people involved, and "population growth", which is a measure of how the overal number of people is moving. If the number of people leaving in any month is the same as the number of people joining, then they experience "zero population growth" as the number of members remains about the same over time. If the number of people leaving is LESS than the number of people joining, then they experience "population growth" or "positive population growth" as the number of members increases. They can lose a lot of people, but the number of people joining more than makes up for it. If the number of people leaving is MORE than the number of people joining, then they experience "negative population growth" or "population shrinkage", as the number of members decreases. They can bring in a lot of people, but the number of people leaving more than makes up for it. twi has been referred to as "hemorrhaging members" for about a decade- and that was after periods where 80% of the membership walked. So, before several years of negative population growth, they had 5000, including children. We're not counting children, so figure 3000 (members are older, so they're more likely to be settled down with kids) plus kids at the time the 5000 number was derived. I figure the real number of members is somewhere between 1500 and 2000, just as a "guesstimate", at present. ======= Let's look at their notice, in light of the utterly deceptive methods they use to reinterpret the facts (lie thru their teeth): "over 1000 people attended" That means "1001 people attended", and attendees include: staff forced to attend twi VIPs who attend and are catered to loyal members convinced to visit for the weekend from wherever local members browbeaten into attending (250 mile radius DOUBLED for the special occassion) total strangers begged to attend by the local members browbeaten (family and friends to the local members, but strangers to twi) children of all of the same All of that should easily exceed 2500 if twi was as big as it claims. "nearly 4000 more joined in on phone lines". There is no way to determine this accurately, therefore, this is a complete fiction invented so they can pretend they haven't lost thousands of people over the past few years from when they claimed 5000 total. This number's justification would probably sound something like this: "Well, there were 100 phone lines in use. We were told people were gathering for local meetings of 40 to listen in. So, 100 times 40 equals 4000." Does anyone who worked A/V know how many phone lines twi has? If we knew that, we could work out a maximum/minimum for people hooked in, if ALL lines are in use.

Well, I tried to figure out who he was without cheating. I did an Image search on Google so I could see his face. Still nothing. So I looked him up. STILL doesn't ring a bell. In the interests of keeping the ball in play, then, I trust no one will mind if I post AFTER looking him up, just this once. (I'm still using my memory for the rest of the link, though.) If this IS a problem, just skip my step, then. ======== Cherry 2000 Melanie Griffith Working Girl

Not sure at all. However, "Chainsaw 3.5" MIGHT be what you're looking for.

*looks it up* No, it wasn't "Scarface."

Supposedly, he studied all of Moody's courses and they have no record of him. Supposedly, he was on this basketball team and invented the hook shot, and there's no record of him. What can this mean? Maybe he was good with aliases. Maybe he was full of balloons.

Mind if I quote you on that, Groucho?

Are you sure any of us have SEEN this movie? I'm sure I haven't, except for the name.

Actually, typing "Actual Errors in PFAL" in the "exact phrase" line and "Raf" as the author brings it right up. (I never use the non-Advanced search function.) I missed this thread, mostly because I last checked in when it was about water. I got everything from the first few pages back then.

Ambassador One was sold???? Who's got the Motorcoach??? You didn't know they sold off the plane? It was costing them a lot more money than it was worth to maintain it. So, when they were selling off the properties, one of the first things to go was the airplane. They didnt exactly broadcast that-in fact, they sometimes denied outright they sold ANYTHING.

I'm betting this crowd will get this one fast... "You'd do it for Randolph Scott."

Robert Ridgely Robin Hood:Men in Tights Cary Elwes Robert Ridgely was the hangman in Blazing Saddles (he had a noose on the sheriff's neck, and the horse's neck) and the hangman in Men in Tights ("Want a blindfold? How about 1/2 of one?" "No noose is good noose!")

"Dangerous Minds." Michelle Pfeiffer's character, the teacher, says it. :D-->

a-nal-o-gies 1. a) Similarity in some respects between things that are otherwise dissimilar. b) A comparison based on such similarity. You may notice, he DID get out.....

"In vain is the snare set in sight of any bird." ==== At the time, Oakspear THOUGHT he had received great value. The Enron employees who were convinced to buy company stock by its executives THOUGHT they were receiving great value. They thought that-and were told that- even when the executives were selling off their own shares because the company was actually of no value. If one was callous enough, one could say the employees-who lost all their savings- had only themselves to blame for wasting their time and money. Well, technically, that is partially true. Ultimately, they chose where to invest their money. HOWEVER, the executives were still brought to court for this and held CRIMINALLY LIABLE. They lied to their employees, and deliberately deceived them, all for filthy lucres' sake. Those that hold authority are held responsible for making sound decisions, and for not acting deceitfully. That's why this country has "lemon laws", the Better Business Bureau, and the Dept of Consumer Affairs. Someone buying an item that is misrepresented and breaks down quickly DID choose to buy it, but the courts say the seller misrepresented the product, and is criminally liable.

Jeff Goldblum The Fly Geena Davis

They're not identical. A router provides a firewall for incoming traffic. Period. It also doesn't update. A (software) firewall controls traffic incoming and outgoing. If you use a router but no firewall program, then if something makes it on to your drive, and attempts to call out after grabbing all your passwords or something, then you'll never know. If you use a firewall in addition, when the program attempts to dial out, you'll get a notice, which is your cue to run antivirus and everything else.

Steve!, it was RotJ, on the second Death Star, but yes... "...SISTER! So, you have a TWIN SISTER!...." Thanks, Zixar. You do realize I'm going to forget again, however. The new trilogy just isn't holding my interest like the old one did. And, yes, the best explanation on why he never found Luke is that he didn't know there was a Luke to follow. Darth was busy helping Palpatine subvert the Old Republic into the Empire, or whipping the military into shape, or-more likely- doing the purge of all Jedi, since they were all potential threats. (Yoda escaped notice because he stayed close to the Dark Force energies trapped in that tree, since +5 and -5 total zero.)

Wordwolf, it seems your definition of politeness is me keeping my mouth shut and going away. That's not the way this website is suppose to work, or so I thought.Wordwolf, you really don't want a cross section of how folks feel, do you? If you did, you wouldve just let my post speak for itself. No, I thought that you decided that the rest of us could be spared the repetitive nature of your one issue ("vpw was a nice guy, all of you who disagree are evil"), and decided all by yourself to limit your involvement in this discussion. If I'd WANTED a private discussion, I could have made a private topic. I DID let your posts speak for themselves. Your second one suggested it was only later in the thread I asked for what you thought was important. Bob totally disagreed with you. You said Bob wasn't qualified to speak of your post-only of his own "experience". My next post responded to both. Besides, if you review the opening post of this thread, you'll see I carefully phrased it in a neutral manner. I did not ask for only one position.

Ok, just going from the original trilogy, and a few extrapolations in the X-Wing series and "Shadows of the Empire (takes place just before RotJ).... Tatooine pilots are thought of as great "bush pilots". (Biggs mentions this in Episode 4.) Luke raced swoops around (like motorcycles), and he did most of his flying in his T-16 skyhopper. (Episode 4, the Death Star attack briefing. "It's not impossible. I used to bulleye womp-rats in my T-16 back home.") Tatooine pilots get a reputation for being able to maneuver fighters into tight trenches like on the Death Star. That's because they learned to fly, then hotdogged around thru Beggar's Canyon (seen briefly in the Pod Race, Episode I). Luke mentioned it to Biggs in the Death Star run, Episode 4. (("Just like Beggar's Canyon back home.") As has been mentioned in tech manuals, bush pilots often pick up piloting X-Wings quickly because a T-16 skyhopper's controls are almost identical to the X-Wing controls. I forget if Incom makes both. === The key to Anakin's piloting skills is that he had "Jedi reflexes" (Episode 1.) Anakin flew like a mutha in both Episodes 1 and 2. He seemed to have a habit for hotdogging by the time Episode 2 came out. "I hate it when he does that".-Obi-Wan. Jedi pilots have 2 advantages. One, enhanced reflexes. Two, as explained in Episode 1, their Force-sense allows them to detect obstacles and problems before they appear. The maximum potential of a Jedi to do either is determined by practice, inborn specialization (his body has an affinity to this SPECIFIC Force-skill) and the overall strength of his Force potential. As seen in Episode 1, a Jedi's Force potential is determined by his Midiflorine level. As seen in Episode 1, Anakin's Midiflorine level is off the top of the charts. As seen in Episode 1, Anakin's been practicing skills related to piloting, which allowed his inborn Force abilities a chance to emerge. Therefore, although he'd become a much better pilot after Episode 1, during it, even as a child, he was above-average. So, Obi-Wan's statement on his piloting skills makes sense. =========== Ok, the exchange from "I, Jedi". It was a conversation between Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, and soon-to-be-Jedi Knight Keiran Halcyon. Halcyon had training and experience both as a policeman/soldier, and as a pilot, especially an X-Wing pilot. Luke had mentioned a few things he'd been taught "from a certain point of view", and used Darth Vader's redemption as an example that even Sith Lords could be redeemed, and weren't completely evil. Luke presented the struggle between the light and dark sides as a battle between monolithic entities that one had to be aware of, in the academy/praxeum. As he prepared to leave, Keiran explained how he disagreed with Luke. Keiran said some distinctions were much finer. He gave examples like refusing a huge bribe to not arrest someone, and not killing his father's murderer "while resisting arrest", and other things he'd succeeded at. He said Luke's training specifically channelled him into black/white thinking because that's what Obi-Wan/Yoda wanted. He said they knew Luke would someday want to meet his biological father. They knew Luke was ready to submit his application to the Imperial Academy on Carida. The name "Skywalker", on an application from Tatooine, was bound to get notice. Possibly the usage of Tatooine-where Kenobi was known to operate from-was meant to explain why some vague references to Kenobi might be found. However, "from a certain point of view", it all could be seen as preparing Luke to be a weapon to be used against Darth Vader. I think that was the essence of the discussion.

Then they get so darned mad when they can't perform what they say they can do. Friggin idiots.. UNTRUE! twi blames the PERSON, regardless of the situation. If there's no jobs in an area, and the person can't get a job, it's "lack of believing". If the person gets sick because they got insufficient sleep working a fulltime job plus a parttime job travelling to mandatory meeting all the time, it's "lack of believing." So, twi claims it always delivers on its promises- the problem is its slaves fail to deliver on what twi claims they can accomplish, no matter how impossible the benchmark.

He was- Bob has experienced your posts before. Besides, my INITIAL post asked for your opinion and what you thought was vital-no need to quote my restating it and start over. Your previous posts seemed to indicate you understood the request and responded accordingly. I thought you deliberately chose not to tubthump this time out of politeness. Well, you showed me.

Feeling inquisitive tonight? I also thought it might be handy to have a list like this in case someone ever sat down and wrote a bio on him for the main site. It would help new arrivals figure out why twi was so messed up.

Steve! may have gotten it from a comedian. One comedian once was sent to buy them, and, while he was in the checkout line, he saw a gay guy looking at him. "I was never so glad to be buying pads in all my life. Miss? Can we get a price check on these PADS? We all know they're not for ME..."

"Fish heads are never seen in cafes, drinking capuccino with Oriental women." -Barnes and Barnes. It's a line that stays with you.

Goey's recommended the Kerio firewall. I've been happy with ZoneAlarm. I can name other firewalls, but I don't have experience with them, so I'd go with Goey's recommendation. Since ZA doesn't work for you.