Twinky

George, I don't know which one of 'em it came from, cannot remember now. But I do know there was a dead set against it, not just the quick speculative buy/sell just to make a profit. It was, no shares. Invest in something you know about (good advice) - with a sort of pointer (though without demand) about moving the word (ie, give it to us). The "give it to us" wasn't some heavy thing, though, inasmuch as they didn't keep banging on about it like they did with some other things. Anybody know what they actually did or do invest it/buy shares in?

Was just looking at the TWI financial statement on another thread. TWI in 2007 had $21.5 million in "Money Market" investments. Now that's all very nice and if you happen to have $21 million it has to be somewhere, not stuffed under the floorboards. But what do you do with it? Because I recall ((though I cannot recall where from exactly) that TWI taught it was "unethical" to invest in things that you didn't have an interest in. I think that's a Wierwillism, can't remember now. (Was it the Advanced Class?) It was a real no-no to invest in stuff where you didn't know who owned what. Coupled with that, investment in the stockmarket was seen as a form of gambling. This is looking to me very much like another form of TWI hypocrisy - you can't do this - but we will. So if you have a not insignificant sum of money - where do you invest it? Does anyone know where TWI actually invested surplus cash? It's not in land or buildings; they show separately. And it's not just "cash at bank" either.

Too right, Waysider! Just saw this thread come up - wow, shouldn't it be in Soap Opera?? I read the first and last half dozen pages and found this: Don't you? What if someone's behavior has caused you immense pain or difficulty? Your child got killed by a drunk driver? Your house got burned down by an arsonist, and all your sentimental things with it. Someone attacked you and caused you to be permanently injured - paralyzed or to lose a limb. Forgiveness won't bring the dead child back or build the house or replace the family heirloom or repair the paralyzed or missing limb. You can forgive, but you still have to deal with the effects of someone's behavior. Therefore to some extent you have to think about the offending party. You just don't think about them bitterly. If you can think about them with compassion, that has to be a bonus.

Next door neighbors are here over the hols and will look after cats if needed. At present am feeding them in the carriers. Tuxy has no hesitation and just charges in to eat. Crypto peers in every direction and then enters cautiously. Soon both tails are swishing gently. I think they could both easily be captured. Undecided about whether to take them. My mum has a cat too, an elderly critter who loves a fondle. Mine might get stressed at being on another cat's territory. Twinkle might beat up my two (which wouldn't do Tuxy any harm at all, make her realize life doesn't revolve around her) but she (Twinkle) might also show them how enjoyable being fondled is. Mum is a bit worried in case Tuxy waters the carpet and says they must be confined to the bathroom (that wouldn't last long!!). So I have to balance the stress of being caged, traveling and being in a new location with another cat; with the stress of being alone for 4 or 5 days and somebody they don't know very well tending them. Neighbors also have an indoor cat so will probably carry his scent on their clothing. My sofa and dining chairs to pee on! Sounds a bit "no contest" but you never quite know with these two.

Coolchef, since your reply is here in triplicate, should we take it that it was completely completely final when you gave up your volunteering in his garden?

Got born again in an Anglican church somewhere between ages 10 and 13, can't remember. Got to see God's power in manifestation from a Way believer, who got answers to prayers on a very consistent basis. Got to really love my Mum, who has truly sacrificed her life to live as Godly a life as she can. The care and loving kindness she has bestowed on so very many (not even family) over the many decades of her life is outstanding. She has lived in poverty because she gives away her last penny, and she will drop everything to be with me or my siblings in our times of need. But I'd call her Christ incarnate - not God incarnate.

Sounds to me like you may be making assumptions that just aren't justified. Maybe they don't read the Bible - doesn't mean they don't think about it. If recently left, they may be mulling over what some scriptures really do say/mean. Maybe they pray silently before a meal. Is TWI going through one of its phases where they are encouraged to use non-jargon words? Maybe they have started to go to some other church and simply do not feel they can discuss it with the rest of you. Have you told them how much better your own life is since you left? Would it help if you started a conversation along the lines of, "These days, I feel so much more comfortable about.../ I'm learning to listen to God's quiet voice in .../ there was a great song on [the local Christian radio station] today/ The preacher at the church I go to now was preaching about... and it was really refreshing". Love 'em up and let 'em know there is life after TWI. Sounds like you don't see them very often. Why don't you just go on over and hang out for a while? Just be "family."

Just being iron-willed about it, Lifted. No, actually, I think they'd be playing "Waiting for the other shoe to fall" http://www.strum.co.uk/sounds/shoe.htm (Oh, BTW, my personality wasn't magnetic enough and I got the "No thank you" letter yesterday. :( )

I'd say two shoes is a pretty mild answer to millions of bombs thrown on Iraq by Bush. Ahh - who started this throwing business, anyway?

Borax laundry soap ... tell me more, LT. Is it a block of soap, a powder, or what? Carpet is in my shed up the garden pending cleaning. It's a nice carpet. Shed is a bit pongy now though. Probably won't do anything with it till Spring - will have to dry the carpet somehow. Good point about wetting themselves. Another cat I had was so terrified of cars (no reason) that on being caged and transported by car to the vet's, he messed himself and then got it all in his fur. Not a nice clean-up. I will line the cat carriers with newspaper and towels (for comfort) but of course they will also absorb any bodily fluids. That's supposing I can get the cats in them. Geisha, when I first got them, I had them on Rock Rose and Mimulus (one is for terror, the other for general scaredness) - both components of Rescue Remedy. Might need to try that again.

Be fair, Ham. Give some examples if you think this is true. When everyone was getting ready for RoA (early 90s), I saw quite a few of the "executive types" out offering to help for the evening work sessions. And also working hard in the day, on things that wouldn't be their "normal" work. They did it because they wanted to. RoA prep was a very busy and generally quite fun time. There were other "executive types" who also volunteered for extra work but were doing their normal jobs on evening overtime. Maybe I still have rose-tinted glasses in that area, but I do think there were "executive types" who genuinely had a heart for the work who weren't in the inner corrupt circle.

With $55m in the bank (see other threads), they could afford a very superior cardboard box!

What's this about bonuses? Just a guess, Skyrider, or got some hard fact behind that? What would they get a bonus for, anyway? Can't be for winning new people to the word, folks at HQ didn't get the opportunity, preaching to the choir/converted. Maybe because of the number of people they ran off...?

You know, the poor pay and housing conditions wouldn't have mattered at all - if only it was part of "having all things in common." You know, if LCM hadn't been living in luxury in the Chalet but in one of the trailers, like the other families - perhaps sharing with another family. Or they lived in Founders Hall and shared a kitchen with other staff. And the BoT got their new clothing from Plurality Palace. And their vhehicles were hand-me-downs from other generous supporters. I don't recall any staff members having much money spare for discretionary spending. Especially golfing fees. Didn't the requirement for a pay cut take place after PoP when a lot of people left? Then, supplies of stationery, etc, were all centralized and people had to ask for a single pen. (That's good, in a way, because people can stockpile huge amounts of surplus stationery in individual departments.) Notta, How horrible it must have been in WP to have to transcribe LCM's Corps Night rants, when he really let off steam. Did you have to do it, expletives and all? They were rich in people and poor in pay. Staff worked very hard, but some I know were also desperately bored because there really wasn't the work to do at certain times of the year.

Does anyone know any really effective and quick ways of sedating cats? Not involving prescription-only medicine? Recently I sewed a hem on some garment and must have dropped a threaded needle on the floor. I fed the cats this morning and as usual Crypto neatly hoovered round the dish in case anything had fallen out. She found something and ate it. What she ate was the thread with a needle still attached. I hadn't noticed it at all. So there is Crypto, trying to swallow the thread, with this needle hanging about an inch below her mouth. Now I'd like her to learn some new tricks, but sword swallowing isn't one of them. Would she be captured? Would she heck! A small animal with four legs is much swifter to move than a gallumphing human with only two legs. I chased her round and round the house and she hid under this and behind that. So many small places to hide!! I couldn't catch her with a jacket or towel to throw over her, nor with a sort of "cat catcher" lassoo devised for the purpose out of a plastic tube and a dressing gown belt. Eventually I realised that I don't need to catch her, just get near her mouth. She will hand-feed with the right temptation and I found a little ham and she very warily (after some time) but eagerly sidled up to get the ham. I was afraid it might encourage her to swallow the thread and needle a bit more but happily on the third attempt I was able to feed a little ham and hook my little finger round the thread and pull it out. It was a big needle, on 8" doubled thread!! My plans had been to visit my mum over Christmas, taking the cats with me in the cat carriers. That means - catching both of them. I have the carriers on display so they will get used to them, with tasty things in them, but this may not work. They are very cautious. I went to the vet to enquire but all they can let me have without prescription is Feliway. There are quick-acting sedatives but these are prescription-only - which means catching Crypto to take her to the vet. But the sedative would be so that I can catch her! No problems with Tuxedo. She walks up to me and over my computer desk and is relatively easy to catch and doesn't fight me any more. Does anyone have any suggestions, please?

Thank y'all very much. PurpleDays, yes that would be fun. Brit BBQ perhaps? (LOL) LU, Copenhagen - thanks! Ham - too funny! We had some fun and games this morning. RG - thanks, where do you get all those things from??!!

Why d'ya recommend Firefox, Wolfie? And what would be the "small adjustment"?

Are there really 320 people on staff at HQ? How do you know that? Whatever do they all do?

Thought I'd have a dive into Chat tonight but when I tried to get in, my computer complained about Fatal errors. SO I clicked on the links that are set up on the Cafe page which take you into the Sun Microsystems pages. I've done this before and think I just deleted Java recently on tidying up my computer, or maybe CCleaner tidied it up for me. Anyway, what do I need to download now? This computer uses Win 2000 and IE. Have Firefox too but don't really use it.

Good post, Jeff.

Read your blogs and the comments afterwards. Some neat comments. You have a lot to give, John. Whatever made you effective in TM will make you effective now. Only much more so. (I echo my post 76.)

Well. This is my thousandth post. What a lot has happened since post no.1. And the time before that when I was just lurking, and reading and reading and reading... Farewell, Waybrain. Hello, peace of mind. Hello, tenderness of heart, compassion, kindness. Hello, enjoyment of life. Hello, humility and patience. Hello, thinking ability, questioning ability, pondering and exploring the depth of love shown to me. Most of all: Hello, Dad. Sorry I got sidetracked there. You never stopped looking out for me, though Hello, Big Brother. Sorry I lost sight of you, too. You never stopped looking out for me, either. Thanks to all the Cafe denizens who have shared their stories, shared advice, shared kindnesses, helped sweep out the refuse, clear out the cobwebs, and hang new pictures on the wall.

They changed their minds about sex outside marriage being okay? It's not okay now? What chapter and verse are they using for that? How do they square that with the previous teachings that it IS okay? Have they said what is allowed - a hug, a kiss (gulp, what sort?), no touching, no touching below the waist? I guess they can't actually come out and say, "WE WERE WRONG" because officially the "sleep with whoever you like" doctrine was never official policy even though widely practiced among the "spiritually mature." What, are they going mainstream about something :blink: ? Dorian: It's almost surprising that the Way haven't tried ousting you anyway, putting pressure on her to get a new room mate. They really don't like their people living with "unbelievers" which includes Christians that go to mainstream churches. They may take the view that it makes your roomie weak.

Gosh, I hope nobody took this seriously, that TWI was teaching diplomats :blink: Hope the link that I included made it clear it was not TWI the cult. Though both are good at forms of doublespeak. Good point, Potato. How scary! ********* Anyway, now: back to our regularly scheduled topic. Redundancies in: bus driving dept; snow crew clearing round bus. Since they no longer hold RoA, do you suppose they still have all that stuff in the warehouse, the chicken frying machine and all the other RoA stuff? That could be a new job/reassignment. Selling all that off. Anyone know if The Way Woods were grown as a forestry venture? Or are they just nice trees?

Well done! Pleased for you. Go Hammy!!!!