waysider

On one hand, the complexities of nature and the physical world strongly suggest there must be some superior, intelligent, driving force behind life on planet Earth. It almost seems ludicrous that we consider it all to have happened randomly. How does a parrot in the Amazon determine it must eat clay to neutralize the effects of toxic seeds? On the other hand, there is powerfully persuasive evidence that, not only is evolution real, but it can happen at an excruciatingly slow pace or rapidly, as the circumstance dictates. There are plenty of examples of this in scientific journals. Take our concept of God and religion out of the fracas for a moment and consider the possibility that perhaps it is humanly impossible to comprehend the complexity of the subject at hand. And, like the concept of the limits defining eternity, why will it make one bit of difference in our day-to-day lives whether we know the answer or not? Life was so much less complicated when we marveled at the beauty of a butterfly and gave no thought to its' origin.

"E=MC2" Perhaps one of the most powerful quotes in modern science. ;)

Perhaps that explains why you may have been unaware of the true nature of TWI's sanctioned lifestyle. Just a thought.

Is it "Rocky Top" by Dolly Parton?

Most of my "rah!, rah!" years were spent as a single person. I saw some of the aforementioned behavior but didn't have a clue it was not relegated to isolated incidents. It's one of those things where you look back and go:

Hi, Walking. I think you probably have more ambition than I do. If your ear can't tell the difference, who cares? Unless, of course, it's a matter of price. I don't know how to tell the difference without some lab test that I'm sure you are not going to do. I can tell you this, though, in my line of work, people often ask me how they can tell the difference between sodium residue and calcium residue.(Bone is made of calcium.) Sodium residue is water soluble, calcium is not, nor is plastic. Applying a bit of white vinegar to suspected calcium build-up will usually cause it to fizz enough to at least give a positive ID. It won't do anything to plastic. I suppose a very minute amount of the bridge material (in powdered form ) would produce similar results. Sounds like a lot of trouble to go to, though, if it's only to satisfy curiosity. That's all just guess work on my part. Sounds like a nice guitar if the price is right.

Unless he was actually there, he doesn't really "know" the facts, he only "knows" what he has heard. There is no law that says you can't hear a rumor. Likewise, there is no law that says you must repeat it.( unless you are under oath) Boys that age are notorious for trying to take credit for such activity whether they did it or not so what he has heard may well be just "posturing". The real culprit in such an instance is more than happy to fall back into the shadows of the unnoticed.(unless his motive was attention ) Giving up your buds can have some serious repercussions. Not worth risking based solely on rumor and posturing. I had this----ummm---- "friend" who found himself in a similar situation once. He held his ground even as the bright lights shone in his face and he had to pee so bad his tonsils were singing "Anchors Aweigh". To this day, both his legs work just fine.(ie; never been broken) Now, if he is privy to some actual, provable facts regarding the scenario, it's a whole different ball game.

Count On Me

Thanks, Mr. Miller That's a nice looking guitar.(Wouldn't mind one for myself) I have dealt with that company before and have no complaints thus far. Prices are usually fair and the merchandise has always arrived well packaged. PS---Back up a few posts and you will find some Rich DelGrosso. Not exactly your style of mando but interesting none the less.

You Bettcha!

I was kinda hopin' somebody would respond with: "No! No! He's outside looking in!" I worked like a slave for years Sweat so hard just to end my fears Not to end my life a poor man But by now, I know I should have run.

I finally got up the courage to watch it. Is the guy off pitch? Yep. Does it make much difference? Nope. I thought the singer at stage left had a fairly pleasant voice. Harmonies seemed appropriately tight. Choreography was horrendous. Costuming was atrocious. They tried to dress it up with a heavy bass line. Didn't work.( At least not for me) Very mechanical, no message conveyed. Reminded me of the Christopher Walken/ Fat Boy Slim video from a couple years ago. Anybody remember that one? (Walken dancing in the hotel) Song was a throw-away.(IMO) What REALLY caught me was how the audience responded so enthusiastically. I didn't expect them to boo, but I didn't think anything beyond a polite applause was appropriate.

Well, first I found myself listed as a member of a trade organization I belong to. No surprise there. Next, I found someone with the same last name (which I had always thought was unique) and a different first name, who had designed a very well known public service campaign character.( It was his obit that I stumbled on.) Related? Don't know. Then I found some with the same last name who are/were involved in scientific research that completely escapes my understanding. Alter egos? No. Interesting? Yes.

Help needed. My 16 year old son has decided he would like to learn acoustic guitar. Dad has a perfectly good Fender dreadnaught Gemini II but he wants an axe he can call his own. He is looking at a Fender D-100(about the same thing as Dad has) He wants to spend about $500 or less. Any thoughts on entry level guitars? I suggested a Martin D-15 but it's a bit out of his price range. Thanks for any suggestions.

Tab Benoit & Jimmy Thackery--These Arms Of Mine

Timothy Leary's Dead!

Well, you see, NY, you've stumbled on something that is at the core of what is taught in TWI. That is, that the 10 commandments were not written to the church as we know it today, hence the concept of "Freedom in the Word". I think it's what normal people call a LOOPHOLE! So, to answer your question, yes, the subject of adultery is taught, but it is not assigned the same meaning that most people give it. In fact, it has been taught in TWI (don't know if it still is) that adultery refers to "spiritual" adultery and that the physical concept is for the understanding of those not "spiritually mature" enough to grasp it's true meaning. Again, sounds suspiciously like rationalization at best and downright twisting of the scriptures to suit ones own agenda. I hope that wasn't too confusing.

What is "mixed peel"?

Here's the irony The next five days will seem to drag on forever. The next 25 years will fly by like time travel in a sci-fi movie. My best wishes to the both of you Waysider

I probably wouldn't ask questions. I would just listen and take in as much as I could. But, that's just me saying what I would do and not me giving any kind of advice. Above all, enjoy your experience.

I saw them in Columbus, Ohio in the early 1980s. They were on the road doing "public ex.'s"( remember those?) They were MUCH too good to be singing at public ex.'s and I felt like their talent was being exploited. There was a lot of that "trophy mentality" back then. In Cleveland, we used to dog Phil Keaggy(Glass Harp) to take PFAL. The trinity was always the crucial stumbling block. Wouldn't that be a swell trophy for TWI to say that someone of his level of talent was one of us? That was the thinking behind it. None of it was about him as a person, it was about him as a trophy. It's really just another sales technique. " Ya know, Mrs. Jones, your neighbor down the street just bought TWO of these---------------" I hope they are doing well.

Screaming Yellow Zonkers, R. Crumb comics and fringed buckskin jackets. All fond memories from my pre-TWI days. I think a lot of how you view this subject depends on how old you were when you were first introduced to the substance. Perhaps I should have said "where you were in your social developement". I went to a very large high school.(1,000 in our graduating class) Drugs were NOT part of the culture at all unless you count beer. ( Which is technically a drug and a very big part of that culture.) There was one guy I knew who was rumoured to have smoked "weed". One guy out of 1,000? Hmmm. Not a major scene by any stretch. The year after I graduated, all hell broke loose, so to speak. Thus, I was introduced as an adult. I suppose I viewed it all quite differently than someone who didn't have to get up before the crack of dawn and face the work-a-day world. It was really more of a weekend release than a lifestyle for me. Maybe that's why it wasn't too difficult to quit when it was explained to me that I might be inviting in debuhl spirits by partaking of the "pharmacia".

I had a friend who, in the late 70s, asked me to put my finger in her ear. She then proceeded to tell me that it was "just skin touching skin" and no different than---well---you get the idea. No, she wasn't coming on to me. She was trying to justify some recent activity. And yes, she gave it the "freedom in The Word" spin. She is a terrific person but being that she was my best friend's wife at the time, it sure was weird.

What was the question,again? Been over 35 years since my last toke. Don't miss it a bit. That's not meant as a judgement in any way, just a statement of personal experience.

Dandelion wine-----Never tried it I have eaten fried dandelion flowers and also wilted dandelion greens, though. Too bitter for my tastes. Be careful where you harvest them.(Pesticides and herbicides to consider.) Rhubarb---Again, be careful (as the greens are toxic.)