George Aar

At 78 this guy's a wee bit long in the tooth already, no? I guess they like all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the whole election thingy, as they'll most likely being doing it again real soon. Good grief, why didn't they find somebody in his fortys or fiftys anyway? How silly...

Suziesan, I'm home now. A really odd trip. Didn't get any antiques. Motohide was a pain in the butt the whole time. He can be a real control freak. I never saw that side of him before. Anyway, in severe jisa boke (jet-lag) mode. Going to class tonight but just to give the sensei her presents, then home to beddo. Call me tonight if you like. Ai shi te masu, Joji yori (Oh, I got you lots of Umeshu and a cool digital camera)

Suziesan wa, Daijobu desu ka? Ashta wa America ni iikimasu. Had a good time but I:m ready for home. Hope the boy hasn:t destroyed it yet. How was your Charlotte do? Ai shiite masu, Joji

Well, I've got some explanations, I think. But probably not ones you'd be satisified with. Lots of folks have claimed supernatural powers over the years, but they are always unwilling or unable to perform those feats under supervised, controlled conditions. And their abilities are never reproduceable either. They may claim they are, but put them in a well-designed laboratory test and they always fail. So much so that there has never, in the history of the world, been a single documented, proven case of paranormal goings on. Leaves me to think that either there are no such things or that the source of these evil powers is as reluctant to be definitive as is his Holy counterpart. Vague always seems to be the order of the day when dealing with the paranormal. I'd discuss more but I'm off to Japan for a week or so. Maybe we can pick this up when I return...

This one goes back a few years, but, I had been partying pretty hardy at a friend's house one night and had crashed on the couch. About 3 A.M. I woke up with the munchies and, finding no one to accompany me, I headed off to the all-night diner for an early breakfast. There was a nominal crowd at the diner. Most everyone looking like they were getting ready to head out for work. But they all had a really disgusted look on their faces. And the waitress, hell, she wouldn't even look at me. I waited and waited to get served and finally got a little short with another of the waitresses as she scurried by. "Hey, what have I got to do to get served around here?" About that time that waitress comes over to me and says "Did you know you had something written on your forehead?" "I DO?(!)" "Yeah, I think maybe you might want to go into the restroom and check it out." So I sneak off to the Men's room and look in the mirror. There in black felt-pen, in letters 3 inches high across my forehead it says "**** YOU!" I immediately checked out the window. Nope, too small for an escape. So there's nothing to do but go for the Boraxo and scrub the ink off. After about twenty solid minutes of scrubbing, the ink is finally gone. And with a forehead now beaming red from the abrasive abuse, I slinked back out to the dining room to scarf down my - now cold - breakfast and head for the door as quickly as possible. Hmmmmm, I still owe Fred for that one...

Ah, yes, the "burned bridges". I think quite a number of us did that sort of thing. We got real fired up by some teaching or other, or some person or other, or maybe by some class or other and - in a fit of religious zeal - went off to tilt at windmills, er, to fight for the Lord! Personally, after sorta just hanging out with the local twigites for 5 or 6 years, I got real excited about really doing something for God after hearing Johnny Townsend give a "W.O.W. Promo" teaching. I decided that I wouldn't just be hearing about what victories people were winning for God, but, by golly, I was gonna go to the "front lines" myself! So I quit my job (a top management position in a growing roofing contracting firm), sold my hobby farm (six-acre tract with a house, barn and 4 fenced acres), cut ties with my family and friends, and set off for my first (of many) R.O.A.s. So then, after being enveloped into the true Wayfer lifestyle - i.e., living with a bunch of strangers who you may or may not like, living in a town you've never heard of before and don't know a single soul in, having little or no savings and no stable employment so you have to adopt of lifestyle of self-imposed poverty, and, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO GO BACK TO BECAUSE YOU'VE ALREADY TORCHED YOUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH EVERYONE IN YOU LIFE IN ORDER TO "BE YOUR BEST FOR GOD". So then, there I was, more or less stuck with serving out my W.O.W. year and then trying forever thereafter to somehow make my life the wonderful example of deliverance and abundance that I'd come to believe was possible only through adherance to WayWorld dictates. It took a long time to realize the obvious. Thankfully LoyBoy came along and eradicated any doubt that TWIdom was a pathetic sham from the gitgo. If only he'd come to prominence earlier, the damage he could have alleviated...

Omedeto gozaimasu! Tanoshinde kudasai! Joji yori

Don't know that particular one, but it looks like a Max Fleischer cartoon, no?

Hammeroni, I don't really consider myself an atheist, so maybe I don't qualify. But I'm more than willing to admit there may be an unbelievably extraordinary being or intelligence that is responsible for all of creation. I just don't see any evidence of one. Of course, something as superior to human beings as a creator of the entire universe would have to be, could certainly keep himself from being found out, if that was his intention. It does seem to me, though, that the most denial is in the believers camp (Ken Hovind's site is a good example). They spend so much time trying to prop up ridiculous notions like how the ark was made, or how there really were dinosaurs around just a few years ago, and utterly ignore entire fields of research, like biology, paleontology, archaeology, and geology. That is, of course, unless they can get fundie member of their lunatic fringe to prostitute himself and try to lend credence to their dopey contentions (Noah and the flood really happened, there really was an Adam and Eve, and the earth is only 6,000 years old, etc.). And of course then, there's that pesky fossil record to dance around...

As far as the "theory" of evolution goes, well, at least it can be used for something. By understanding the basics of how species change due to environmental forces and whatever, we can make accurate predictions as to what's going to happen. Lawns that are consistantly mowed to a certain height will eventually generate dandelions that grow to just less than that height to blossom. Harmful genes can be plotted and the probability of offspring receiving that gene can be calculated. Deadly diseases (bird flu, anyone?) can be understood in light of what can happen if certain mutations occur, and proper safeguards can be prepared for (well, they should be, anyway). But what do you get with a creationist mindset? Does it open up any avenues for investigation that can then lead to further understanding? Boy, I sure don't see that. It's simply, "Well, God did it, ain't He great!". And there you are, dead end. Praise the Lord and wait for His judgement to come to pass. And with regards to all the wonderful scientists that really doubt evolution theory, uh, gee, you got more than one or two? Virtually all the mainstream, well-regarded, peer-respected scientists worldwide accept the basic notions of the theory of evolution. The fact that there's a couple of fundys who went into the scientific world in college, but maintained their superstitious notions of invisible beings guiding our paths, doesn't strike me as overly compelling. And yes Def, I really tried to be a good little Christian, and give God the glory. But I found it ultimately to be a thoroughly distasteful waste of time. I guess you simply can't understand that. Sorry, it's true all the same. And, while we're at it, what kind of God - who's so almighty and alpowerful and all of that - needs such incessant ego-strokes to keep in good spirits anyway? He seems pretty dysfunctional to me, if O.T. history is anything to go on...

Well, I have a bit different take on it (yeah, big surprise). I think the "sweetness" and fun fellowship and all that was entirely due to those in attendance. We were all idealistic, young kids who became convinced that there was a better way of doing things, so that put us in the state of mind of wanting to "Be our best for God" or whatever. Consequently, we acted in a loving and nurturing manner. WayWorld, though, had a nasty streak of "my Way or the highway" in it, even back then. I remember driving to twig one time and the radiator hose blew on my (brand new) car. We were stranded in the middle of the freeway until I could hitch to an auto parts store, get a hose and antifreeze and hitch back. The whole time I was dreading what kind of bitch session we'd have to put up with once we got to twig - me and the others in the car with me. We had already learned to be paranoid of the wrath of "leadership" for our "lack of believing" - and this was in 1974. We were just weeks out of taking the class for the first time, and yet, there we were, dodging and weaving to avoid confrontation with the powers that were. Personally I was madly in love with the girl that witnessed to me, or I'd have never gotten involved with the B.S. to begin with. And after awhile, I got to be pretty close with some of the others in our twig. How could you not, being as we were trying so hard to "manifest the love of God", and we spent all our free time with each other? Oh, to have those "sweet" years to do over...

Oh, I missed that part. Can I substitute a "double Bloody Mary"?

I'll sign that one...

Yes, excie, that's the choice I would make as well. I never thought the guy was a saint, just a regular sort of person who was caught up in a horrible tragedy that just wouldn't end. I think it's awful that the Schindlers and Mr. Schiavo have lost a wonderful person in their lives, but from what I can tell, they lost her a loooooong time ago. If it were technically possible to keep a person's body functioning forever - with or without any brain activity - should we be obliged to do it?

Oh, and the Claude Kirshner show I actually got to see live at the Radio City Music Hall, if I'm thinking of the right show. I remember being tremendously disappointed that I didn't get to play in the game. I sooo wanted to see how well I'd do scooping up all those new pennies in the Penny-Pile part of the show.

All I remember of Pinky Lee's show was his houndstooth checked suit and (IIRC) the Gumby cartoons. I do remember him having his own show at the New York World's Fair in '65, though. I remember my mother groaning and walking quickly past the stand-up cardboard cut-out signs along the walkway. Lloyd Bridges had a show there as well, but what the hay he did, I haven't a clue.

And of course there is a companion site to "Answers in Genesis": http://home.austarnet.com.au/stear/default.htm You tell me which one makes more sense, or, at least, fewer appeals to blind acceptance...

Hiway 29 What about Pinky Lee? Wasn't he a New York regular as well? I always liked his show, though after seeing a kinoscope of it recently, I couldn't tell you why...

Johnur, Gayle Chapman, that was it! Yeah, she was a pretty girl and seemed likeable enough. My only brush with "greatness" was that I rebuilt her mother's garage. It's hard to stay humble when you've been a part of such a significant event, no? Anybody know what became of her? Does she still play guitar for "Prince"?

CES is pretty much a piker in the arena of "prophesying" when compared with the likes of John Edward, Sylvia Brown, James Van Pragh, et al. Interesting to me is that the supposed "spirits" (or whatever) are so knowledgeable about all sorts of details of our lives, but often can't answer the simpliest of questions, like "What is your name?", "Has a relative of yours recently passed on?", or "Does your relative's name start with the letter 'B'?" It would seem to me that if a prophet were truly in touch with The Almighty or His minions that he would be able to come up with ALL the pertinent details of one's life without being prompted in the slightest. But such is not the case in any of the supposed "prophesies" I've witnessed. And, yes, I have been "prophesied" over once in the past. And it was a joke, IMHO...

He seemed like a nice old man. May he rest in peace. I can't think of much good to say about the organization that he represented, though. Yes, the R.C. Church has done a lot of charitable things over the years, but I think they're more than outweighed by the unspeakable harm that it's done throughout it history. Weighed on the scales of history and I think it's found wanting, by a horrible degree. But, yeah, he seemed like a nice old man.

Tee hee, Yeah, ya gotta luv 'em. Didja notice the name of the church as well? Kinda tells you where their priorities are at. I especially love the grammar. No, they're not ignorant hillbillies...

Here's an interesting (read "shocking") item that came up in Cecil's column ("The Straight Dope"): http://www.straightdope.com/columns/050401.html What particularly struck me was the last line in the article, explaining why the members put up with such horrific abuse - "the victims accepted the premise that the twists in charge could send them to perdition and that, in the end, submission was their only choice." Sounds so familiar. Well, to everyone except Oldies, maybe...

Oh yeah, there was Bud Morgan, the T.V. sports guy, but, despite his testimony in some Wayfer film he made, I don't think the Vicster ever really won him over entirely.

A girl who played guitar for "Prince", I ferget her name now, was the one always leaning on him to take the class. I don't know if he ever even came to a fellowship, but he was already an established Rockstar, or whatever the hell he does, when that came about (no, I'm not a real big fan). She seemed like a nice enough girl, and quite a looker, IIRC. She went in the corps and I never heard of her again. Along with the ones already mentioned, here's some more that were supposedly all primed to take the class: George Harrison Bob Dylan Billy Joel Janis Joplin and on and on. All of it B.S. I'd bet, but such was the rumor mill around TWI.