templelady

the term "institutionalized" is often used to describe those persons who have spent so many years of their lives in prison, mental health facilities or similar surroundings that they are incapable of surviving outside of those walls. It has almost nothing to do with health, and abilities and almost everything to do with the form the thought prosesses and mental workings of the brain have become over years of being expossed to the particular environment. It seems to me , that in some cases, those who have been in TWI for decades may have in fact become "institutionalzed". For them it isn't a matter of will power, or anylitical thinking, it is a matter of what their brain is now capable of managing in terms of living outside the walls of TWI.

Belle dear, is it possible that the fact that her massuese, publicist, hair stylist and a catered party all occured within a few hours of her release has less to do with her current thoughts and feelings and more to do with what is considered "normal" in her life? I think that in the Hilton world, as with many other super rich, these things, which the rest of us regard as luxuries that we seldom if ever get to experience in our lives, are simply a routine part of life. For Paris, having this happen is the equivilent of us getting out of jail to find our mother cooking a dinner, to which family and friends are invited, and our girlfriend offering to style our hair. What I am trying to say is that we can only expect Paris to opperate within the framework of the life she has always known. If she can indeed turn off the dumb the-rules-don't-apply routine and become a more thoughtful positive role model for her leagues of preteen, teen and young adult female followers that will be accomplishment enough. Expecting her to change her lifestyle of affluance as proof she has changed when she is still affluent, while it might be nice, is not IMO necessarily necessary.

Thanks everyone. The problem I face is that I make too much money to qaulify for any governemnt medical assistance and, since I only work part time, I am not eligible for medical insurance through my job. I don't make enough to afford to buy insurance on my own. So I am the person the medical profession dreads--the self pay. Currently I am hovering at the quarter million mark and that is after paying over $22,000 out of my own pocket, I say this not as a "pity party" but so you will understand that they have to find doctors, and testing facilities who will work with me financially. There are a lot of good ones here in Anchorage that do just that but there are a lot of people here in Anchorage that are in the same boat as I am financially --so they are swamped and appointments are usually booked several weeks in advance. Couple this with the fact that statistically what they are seeing now only has a 5% chance of rupturing in the next year which makes it a non-emergency by their guidelines -- and you see what I am up against. Meanwhile, I march onward--working on balance now-- stepping onto squishy mats to mimic snow and wet grass, stepping over bolsters, bending over to pick things up off the floor etc. Gods biggest problem with me has always been getting me to GRACEFULLY aquiese to HIS time table Quess I get to practice this yet again LOL

Latest news: THe doctor who saved my life in February cancelled my appointment today with him because he says that what he sees on the MRI is the aneurysm that he fixed on Feb 10th. He says the MRI is not clear enough and now I have to go in for a special kind of abdominal Cat scan. So now we are waiting for all the authorizations and paperwork to come through so that an appointment can be made lada dee lada dum. Apparently one of several posibilitis exist There is indeed another aneurysm right above the first There is an aneurysm over the first The first aneurysm has broken free ther is no aneurysm per se or................... **put your own guess right here, folks! It's free it's fun! Everyone can play!*********** at any rate I am totally confused and wish that we could get one clear picture that everyone in the medical field could agree about. At this point it would be nice if all the professionals could even agree about what they were seeing much less how to fix it.

Rascal, like you, I am way past having to stand approved before others-- Except for God and Jesus Christ. There is a handful of people whose opinion of me I value highly-- They have this position in my life because of the unfailing love and loyalty they have shown me over the years no matter where my head was at. To expect to be granted that kind of status by posters on this or any forum, especially when most of us have never met outside of cyber-space- is an example, IMO, of way-think at it's finest. TWI was filled with wanna be demi-gods who never tired of the sound of their voices telling you, the unwashed masses, how fortunate you were to have them to guide and correct you all the while pointing out how wonderful it was of them to be willing to continue to try to improve such a meekness lacking, stiff necked lot of spiritual babies for whom milk appeared to be too challenging. NO MORE! THANK GOD ALMIGHTY, FREE AT LAST!

NOt only happy but human!!! Usually she has that airbrushed fashion model look on her face. I think this is one of the few times I have seen a picture that shows the person behind the facade. Hope whatever brought this about continues in her life.

So are we talking about the kind of Treasure hunt that uses GSP locations, that appears to be really hot right now, or are you going to be doing specialized hunts for a one time occassion, like a birthday?

So, I know this is going to sound terribly condescending or stupid, IT ISN"T MEANT THAT WAY. Why couldn't you buy your own TP, or better yet one of those Purse SIze packs of Tissue, and stick it in your purse, pocket or book bag for your own personal use as necessary?

BRAVO!!! What a wonderful sense of accomplishment you must be experiencing

If nothing else, this thread with all its, turns, twists and convulutions, Is a shining beacon of the freedom we all have outside of TWI. Can you envision the rucas that would ensue within the confine of the "scared walls of TWI", if a group of people were to go spinning off on side tangents after a teaching, the way we have here??? THe reproof Sessions THe yelling THe swearing Makes my head ache just thinking about it. Much better here where freedom is first and censorship a far far distant possibility.

I started coming to this site because Waydale got closed. I left for a while, having decided I had received about as much healing from GSC as it was possible to recieve. And lo and behold I would find myself wondering , if so-an-so got their degree, if people had ever gotten married, did Maggie Muggins finally get her husband to agree to leave TWI etc. etc. etc. In short ,posters had become friends or at the vary least aquaintences I cared about, so back I came and here I still am.

Party ON! May it be the happiest Birthday ever

I have gone back and reread my post, #68, just to make sure--- And sure as shootng I NEVER mentioned johniam, jeaniam, eyesopen, rascal, bramble or any other poster by name. As was pointed out by another poster--obviously the shoe must fit in some degree or why would you feel a post, posted in response to a post not generated by you or jeaniam, would in any way refer to either of you???? One of my points was that people who fit the categories I was speaking about have an overwhelming need to be the center of attention--no matter how negative the attention might be. Clearly, I am sad to say, you and jeaniam fall into this group--else why would you claim your names were attached to a post that was describing negative characteristics??? I have NEVER demanded at any time, on any thread, that a poster agree with me on any subject. And I challenge you to find a post where I specifically told you or jeaniam, not to post or to only post viewpoints that agree with mine.

Really?!?! I did not in anyway address the content of post #62. I have gone back and reread it--just what exactly was supposed to leap to my attention? Oh, I get it!! By not addressing your post #62 I was remiss, because how could I have ever dreamed of posting anything that was not in direct response to a post of YOURS!!!! Sorry, but my post was for the benefit of a poster, GASP!, not you or jeaniam!!!! What I posted were my general observations, picked up over 57 years of life on this orbiting third planet from the star we call the Sun, about certain personality types. Wait a minute!! Are you saying that you and jeaniam could possibly fit my generalized profile???? How clever of you to recognize a potential character flaw in yourself! Bravo!

Death is a different plane of existence, and it doesn't scare me. Dying, the methodology by which travel from this earthly plane to death's plane is accomplished, is a different story. I can think of several ways of dying that I absolutely would not want to experience. Peacefully dying in my sleep is what I want.

May your day be filled with friends, family, love and Joy. Happy Happy Birthday, my friend!

So, I don't believe that annam has ever given an answer to one of the points brought up in one of the earliest posts on this thread namely; Why, annam did you go diging through the past topics to resurrect a thread 2 months dead to object too?? Would it not have been easier to just start a new topic?? Yes , I am asking an irrelevant question, if you consider its importance in the grand scheme of things , but your motivations interest me.

Clearly the man had the fine piece of automotive machinery because it would go fast and he liked going fast. Clearly said motorist lacks the brains God gave a flea as to the appropriate time and place to drive 127 mph. Clearly he also has a general disregard for rules. The car is his property. But, that said, it is not a piece of property he should be allowed to retain since he lacks the skills to use it in an appropriate manner. Therefore I think that he should have to sell the car, and use the 1/2 money from the sale to fund public awareness ads regarding speeding. He should also have his license revoked for ten years at least. Any vehicle that is in his home would have to be the property of a spouse, or legally aged child and he WOULD NOT be permitted to drive same. As to the confiscation of automobles, homes etc that are found to contain sufficient drugs that make it clear the owner is involved in drug trafficking, those personal items should be confiscated, they are the product of illegal activity and as such should be forfeit. The fact that partners and children may be hurt by this is sad, but the consequences of staying with a dealer. And before I hear the chorus of " maybe they didn't know" it my be shortsighted on my part; but I think that if I suddenly saw a new $30,000 car in the driveway, the kids were getting top of the line sports gear, and I was getting diamonds all on a salary that, two months ago, could barely make the house payments: I would have serious concerns as to where and how my spouse was paying for it. Because one of several possibilities is happening: He has taken on a second or even third legitimate job in which case I would be asking where and asking to see paychecks. He has a severe mental/emotional problem and is sending us to the poorhouse which involves immediate action on my part, such as transfering all funds and other assets etc to my name to protect them He won the lottery in which case why didn't he tell me he found a bag of money by the side of the road in which case why didn't he tell me and take it to the police station for the rightful owners to claim. If none of the above, then the activity is illegal, and I need to hand back the goodies for me and the kids and get the double hockey sticks out of Dodge.

So is OJ admitting to murder, or is he admitting that he was there and got into a fight with Goldman, or is he saying he got there and got into a fight with GOldman and Nicole was hurt but alive on the floor and Goldman was the one who put her there, Or is he saying that he went to the bungalow because of hearing that "ugly things" were going on, hit Nicole fought with Goldman and then he and CHarlie left but both Goldman and Nicole were alive Or is he saying that Charlie did it Or is he saying that at some point he went back inside and both Goldman and Nicole were dead and that caused him to "space out" Lots of skirting the central issue-- much better if he just said "I killed them" and be done with it then go on to explain the whyfors and whereasas. I believe that he went to the bungalow after getting calls regarding the goings on at the bungalow ***If memory serves there was a lot of talk during the trial about Nicole and Goldman doing drugs and having sex right in front of the children and that OJ and Nicole had argued before about this issue*** He gets there finds them indulging in behaviors that he didn't want around his kids, hits Nicole knocking her to the floor and commences fighting with Goldman. Whether he killed them on the spot, or left them alive and they succumbed to their wounds, or went back and realized they were both now dead an tried to make the scene look like a drug crazed lunatic broke in, He definitely is guilty of killing them. First Degree Murder calls for premeditation, I don't think he went there with the intent to kill, I think he went there with the intent to confront them again about their behavior around his children and things snowballed. This Charlie person confuses me, why didn't he get OJ out of there instead of apparently leaving him alone outside the bungalow, Why didn't he summon medical attention for Nicole and Goldman? The biggest question for me is-- How could OJ have left the children in that house knowing that they would find their mother and Goldman , at the very least covered in blood and severely injured?

bounced from avitar to avitar for quite awhile. Settled on the one I have now after coming back to GSC after a two year hiatus. I had join the LDS church and changed my screen name from "maure" to Templelady to reflect this momentus decision in my life. I was looking through avitars and came across the Flame on its Wrought Iron Stand. I just knew it was what I wanted even though it wasn't what I had set out looking for. The style reminds me of the candelabra in an ancient temple or from the Middle Ages, which appealed to me both because of my lifestyle change and because I majored in History especially pre-1600 Europe. The flickering flame reminds me that I am to be a "light" unto the world, not just in matters of religion but in how I conduct myself whether in cyberspace or "real time".

Glad you had wonderful day. Happy Birthday to you!

In the case of those persons whose evil and toxic behaviors make any attempt on the part of their victims to reconcile; whether as in a marriage, a friendship, a student/teacher relationship, a boss/employee relationship , or any other variation of human interaction you can think of; will only cause new and painful hurt to the victim-- forgiveness does not mean forgetting and reconnecting. In fact forgetting is God's responsibility, it is our responsibility not only to not forget but to learn from the situation and be able to identify other dangerous and toxic individuals, before we interact with them, based on what we remember and learned from the previous situations. Forgiveness does not require that we not mention to others, who we see about to interact or interacting with the offenders, our experiences. Forgiveness does not require that we not call a plagerist a plagerist, a rapist a rapist, or a pediophile a pediophile. People are what they are--trying to pretend that they aren't what they are, under the covering of forgiving, is not forgiveness, it is lying. Failure to warn others about toxic persons, by citing examples of their behavior you know to be true, is a failure in your duty as a Christian to look out for your brothers and sisters. Jesus Christ gave the example of the correct way to forgive those who wrong you. Hanging on the cross He said "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." What Christ DID NOT say is "Father I forgive them for what they are doing" And there is nowhere in scripture where the apostles were exhorted to forget what happened on Calvary or to declare that Judas, Herod, or Pilate were anything other than what they knew them to be. Forgiveness is about asking that vengence not be taken on the wrongdoer. Since, per Heavenly Father, "Vengence is mine" He is the only one who can forstay vengence. He forstays vengence when those who have done wrong Repent, and turn with meekness to Him and abstain from wrongdoing in the future OR He is asked by the victim to forgive their tormentor, thus showing that they, the victim, are not only forgiving but worthy of forgiveness themselves. OR a combination of the above. For anyone to presume that a poster at GSC has not forgiven or will not forgive simply because they hold forth the truth regarding an individual and the situations surrounding that individual, is IMO the height of presumption. Name calling is an action committed by a person calling others by adverbs or adjectives that by their nature portray what is untrue, or for the purpose of being mean spirited. Calling someone what their actions have shown them to be, on the other hand is called telling the truth.

Having dealt with my mother and her mental illness all her life especially the last fifteen years of her life where she gradually declined with dementia, the biggest problem often isn't the person with dementia but the family and friends who refuse to see there is a problem. I butted heads for years with family and friends who accused me of being a liar, vindictive, money hungry, indifferent, and a *&%*(&^)&)(&_, for insiting my mother had dementia and insisting she was living in facilities where the problem could be addressed , as well as turning management of her money and related activities over to the trust department of a reputable bank. It is just as scary for family and friends to watch as a loved one forgets significant occassions, names, dates and relationships, as it is for the person who suffers from dementia. Eventually the dementia patient comes to the point that they can't remember that they don't remember and they are at peace most of the time dwellin in a five minute or less window of memories that now comprises their life. The rest of the world isn;t as fortunate they still have to deal with the pain of losing someone. When my mother died I had already buried her in my head and heart at least 6 months before, because there was no longer a connection at any level. I was just another person who she saw. Not remembered and quickly forgotten. What I experienced convinced ME that the problem isn't so much the unwillingness of the dementia patient to socially interact with others as the unwillingness of the mentally sound to interact with the dementia patient. It is frustrating beyond words to interact with someone whose memory covers no more than an hour previously at the beginning of the disease and continually lessens as the years pass. Even a simple conversation becomes impossible because what was said two sentances ago is forgotton not once but repeatedly. The one exception is those who have known or knew the person during childhood and young adulthood. Long term memory is the last to go--so those who have a frame of reference with the patient in the patients childhood or early adulthood can carry on discussions of those long past events with a fair degree of success. Just my experience and opinion.

Asking a pest not to pester you, asking a predator not to regard you as prey, asking an insecure person not to cling are all useless endeavors. Why??? Because in each case the offender does not care that you are offended or annoyed by their behavior their only concern is that you acknowledge their existence. The validity of your opinions is irrelevant as is the accuracy of same because the center of the continual offenders world is themself. Any "string" they can pull no matter how irrelevant or nitpicking just once more gives them the opportunity to jump to the forefront of the discusssion others are having. As to discussion, they really have nothing to contribute once they have formed and issued a statement that is outrageous or offensive enough to grab the attention of several people. Discussing and the learning that comes from that activity is not their primary focus. You found that in the highest echelons in TWI. You find it in the business setting, whether it is the co-worker who spends her time moaning to the boss about how worthless her office mates are, or the warehouse person whose carelessness continually makes work for everyone else. You find it in families where the "black sheep" wrecks havoc by their behaviors. ATTENTION-specifically ATTENTION ON THEM--is the goal, if anything, besides said attention garnering, is achieved it is a purely accidental by-product of the continuing quest to be the center of the universe. A really sad situation, because they never realize that if they stopped their self destructive behavior and actually engaged others in meaningful conversation, with the give and take involved, they would become a valued member of any discussion no matter their position and thereby gain all the attention they could want. They never realize that graciousness and continual efforts to be kind to others garner attention and make people want to include you in activities. Good, positive attention is worth its weight in gold. Just my opinion.

I plan to, as soon as I get out of here, go to Sears and buy myself one Cephalon ™ skillet. I figure with one brand new pan I will be inspired to cook with minimal grease and the right kinds of foods. A new pan a new start .