Linda Z

I'm glad to hear all these endorsements because I've been thinking about shopping around for a better rate. I was once told that Geico stands for Government Employees Insurance Co. and that they used to insure only---ta da! gov't employees. Anyone know if that's true?

1012 might be about right for all staff and active Corps combined. Last I knew, those were the only people who were eligible to open twi CU accounts. I don't believe they could legally get away with basing eligibility for CU membership on people's donating to twi.

I was 17, a freshman in college. I went to classes at night, so I was at work that day, as a cashier at a Kroger's supermarket. I have a vivid picture in my mind of the looks of shock that came over my coworkers' faces one by one as the news spread down the line of cashiers, almost like a visible ripple om a pond. That night I headed for my classes as usual--seeking some sense of normalcy, I guess. The professor of my first class, Dr. Shedd, had tears in his eyes as he told us classes were cancelled. I remember that drumbeat, too, and the riderless horse with the boots turned backwards in the stirrups. I remember sobbing when little John-John saluted. Now little John-John is gone, too. So sad. Remember those coffee table photo books of JFK and family that the newspapers published right after he died? I must have looked through those things a gazillion times. I wonder how the rest of his presidency would have gone, and if he would have been as popular when it was over as he was before that awful day.

There's strong peer pressure in my neighborhood to buy American cars, probably because I live fairly close to both the Chevy plant and the Ford plant. And being the patriotric American that I am, for the most part I've bought Fords and Chevys, with mixed results. My last few cars were Fords. My last car before the one I have now was a 1997 Ford Contour. I loved the way it handled, it was just the right size to be comfy inside but not a "boat," it got decent gas mileage, and I was happy with it. But I wanted to buy a new car and Ford had discontinued the Contour. I'd had an Escort before but didn't want something that small again, and their other models were too big and not as economical. At my son's urging, I decided to jump ship and buy a Japanese car. I've had my Toyota Matrix for almost 4 years and have no real complaints. I had to have the driver's side door lock mechanism fixed, but it was under warranty. And sometimes the radio/CD player gets a little squirrelly (no offense, Ham), but other than that it's been great.

Here's the link for Holiday Mail for Heroes, which is a Red Cross effort to get Christmas cards to wounded soldiers, active military overseas and in the USA, and veterans. It also includes a link with instructions for sending gift cards and calling cards, and for sending care packages. http://www.redcross.org/email/saf/

I guess I did this backwards, because I did my church shopping pre-TWI. I attended everything from lifting-holy-hands, "thank you, Jesus," "hallelujah" churches to the stodgy mainstream ones to home fellowships. I was put off by all the shows of emotion at the church in the first category. I'm sure for some people it was a genuine expression of thankfulness, but for most it seemed more like a habit or an outward show of how religious they were. I have an uncle that must give forth a "hallelujah" anytime we say grace before a meal, and that strikes me the same way. I can't blame twi for my discomfort in that atmosphere, because services like that made me uncomfortable before I ever heard of twi. The stodgy mainstream churches, I gather, are much less stodgy today than they were in my youth. I haven't been to one in a long time, but I see their signs announcing activities that would indicate they've lightened up. IMO, home fellowships are okay as long as no one is the "leader." The most I've done in that regard is get together with my immediate family to pray and read the Bible together, but I have friends who get together with maybe only one other couple. They're not out proseletyzing or trying to build a larger group. This seems to me to be the way to go, but that's just me. Only you can know what you want and would like. Many churches do a lot of charity work, so if that's what you liked about that church, but you didn't like the service, maybe you can find another church that's into giving and check it out.

Yes, but at the expense of the government? That's the part that seems odd. I'm not saying I think VP knew the real scoop on what was going on with all this. My question really has nothing to do with what he said or thought. I just think there are some odd things about how the Jonestown aftermath was handled. There have been plane crashes, tsunamis, explosions, and any number of other types of catastrophes that have occurred outside the US that cost US citizens their lives, and I don't recall the government sending military planes to fetch their bodies.

I have no idea of there's any truth to the conspiracy theories, but I do find it really odd that the government transported the bodies to the U.S. Has anyone other than the conspiracy theorists ever offered an explanation for why that was?

That describes me after my departure. Things were said about me and situations were spun to make me look bad while I was still on staff. I didn't care much about that, either. I just wanted to be gone, so I left. I never heard what, if anything, was said about me after I left, because the people to whom it would have been said (just my dept. at HQ--I was too much of a peon to make the lunchtime hit parade of copped-out possessos) weren't really speaking to me much at that point. A couple of the more stalwart sorts would say a polite "hi," but that's pretty much where the conversations ended. :) A month or two after I quit my HQ job, I ran into a young woman at the St. Mary's McDonald's whom I'd trained in her job in Way Pub. She had always told me how much she respected and loved me when I was still on staff. That day, however, she turned pale when I said hi to her, looked like she might cry, and flew out of that place like she had wings. I felt so sorry for her, because she'd obviously been hoodwinked to think that I'd suddenly turned into some sort of three-headed monster because I'd dared to stand up to Queen Rosie and take a hike. (AW, I harbor no hard feelings toward you. I only hope and pray you got out of that God-forsaken place and that you're doing well!!) I didn't much care if my name was mud around the twi farm. I figured those who knew me knew better, and I didn't much care what those who didn't know me thought. Filing a lawsuit never crossed my mind.

Socksness:

For me it's been a long time coming...40 years to be exact. In 1968, as a first-time voter, I was so filled with hope and enthusiasm. We got Nixon. I think most of us know how that turned out. Now, forty years later, I finally felt genuine excitement and hope again when I went to vote. It's been a long, long time coming. President Barack Obama will have his work cut out for him, to be sure. His face last night showed that he's aware of the challenges ahead, and yet it also showed his determination to lead this country through those challenges. I'm grinning with you, NIKA!

At first glance I thought it was Rosie, but looking more closely, I'm not sure. The hair looks like hers, but the mouth doesn't look right.

I don't know if they're making recommendations now, but when I was in, I never heard anyone but a Republican candidate praised or promoted, either subtly or blatantly. Not once.

Thanks, everyone, for all the b'day wishes and kind words! PB, please tell your lovely wife I sent her a big hug (you'll have to deliver it).

Well, dear Lifted, some decades were more confusing than others. ;)

I've seen many lulls here over the years. Thinks will get lively again. To every thing, turn, turn, turn There is a season turn, turn, turn A time for every purpose under heaven. A time to lurk, a time to read A time to yawn, a time to sleep A time you may write posts A time to refrain from all posting. And so it goes.

Correction to my earlier post. I saw it or them in town for America Awakes, not Take a Stand Caravan. Wrong decade!

Ambassador One was used a lot to take people to activities "on the field." I flew on it with a bunch of staff to New Hampshire, where lcm was doing a "Weekend in the Word" or whatever it was called. Often when the plane was flying somewhere, an announcement would be made that staff/Corps could go along, space permitting, on a first-come, first-served basis. I also flew on Ambassador One from HQ to Cleveland one weekend during my first couple weeks or so in rez. VPW & Mrs. had been invited to an "adult-adult" fellowship here, and the children of the older Cleveland grads (self-named the "adult-adults") were invited to come from HQ and Rome City. I remember seeing the motor coach (maybe both of them?) in town for Take a Stand Caravan. VPW & Mrs. used to pop over to Rome City from HQ on the Twig Hopper now and then, but I don't remember seeing it otherwise except at ROA or HQ

The only "children" I still have at home are of the canine variety. I don't believe in putting costumes on dogs, but if I did, they'd look like the ones in my avatar. Here's a better view:

Hehehehehe exsie. There has been a bit of a lull lately, hasn't there?

I'm glad to see you are recovering so quickly. You sound great for having just been through what you have. Be patient with yourself, and keep on keepin' on! Love and a whole bunch of holy kisses blowing your way, Linda

Welcome, John! Just to clarify, I wasn't in any way referring to your kind offer of help in my earlier post. As RG correctly stated, I was referring to the snide remarks/implications some people made about certain other posters' need for therapy. I feel the moderators were correct in deleting the names of the people at whom the snide remarks were directed.

David, it's the second bulleted item in the "Revised Rules" post in the Open forum. I, for one, am glad to see that as part of the rules. It's always bugged me when people make cracks about others' mental health.

I wish this young man nothing but the best. He could be on a street corner selling dope rather than seeking God and trying to be the best athlete he can be. Honestly, I think bombarding the writer of a puff piece on a college athlete with lots of cult alarms will serve to do nothing but make this kid's life miserable. I don't understand what you hope to accomplish. He was raised in twi and apparently is happy to follow the path his parents laid out for him. Do you think he'll come to GSC, gasp, and try to rescue his parents? More likely, he will take the stance we did when we were young and zealous and write off all the cult talk as the venting of disgruntled former members, just like we did. And instead of concentrating on his studies and athletics, he'll probably be distracted by being forced to defend himself against those who criticize him for being in a cult. Nothing against any of you; I'm sure you mean well, but I don't get this tactic at all. If this reporter were writing an article about religion or cults, I could see taking him to task for not doing his homework. The interviewee mentioned that he's in twi. It's incidental to the story. He could have just as well said I'm a Roman Catholic. Then would the reporter be obliged to do an expose on pedophilia among priests?