ChasUFarley

Hint: It's a one-word title.

Yes it is. mind·ed (mndd) Pronunciation Key Audio pronunciation of "mindedness" [P] adj. 1. Disposed; inclined: I am not minded to answer any of your questions. 2. Having a specified kind of mind. Often used in combination: fair-minded; evil-minded. 3. Directed or oriented toward something specified. Often used in combination: civic-minded; career-minded. minded·ness n. (Download Now or Buy the Book) The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

An American In Paris

You know, I've had the same thought!

Penblwydd Hapus i Chi!

I love HALLOWEEN! Any excuse to dress up and act like a kid! I love dressing the boys up for it - Kristopher lived in his outfit last year - and he still wears it whenever he gets the chance. Not sure what we're going to dress up like this year - but I've seen the costumes in the stores already, so that's got me a-thinkin'.... Here's last year's:

That is a Steve Vai, monkey grip, Ibanez Gem, fugly g-tar! That is sooooo 80's! (Hubby has something like that - minus the trippy paint job and monkey grip.)

Danny - I've been interested in baritone guitars, too. Usually you see them used in country music. The guitarist in Staind plays one all the time - Hubby says check this link out: http://www.ibanez.com/guitars/series.asp?s=mmm&l=e Couldn't you just changing your tuning on a standard guitar to get the same effect? The thing I've been looking over and hinting about for Christmas is a resonator bass guitar. I didn't know they made 'em - and they're not very pricy... I'd play more if I didn't have to haul that 19 lb beast of mine out of the closet every time I wanted to play... then hook it up to the amp... tweak the amp that the baby had been busily tweaking all day... and then... play. Some days it's too much work... I've become a weekend warrior with it, mostly. Plus, I'd like to try some different tone...

Skip - Greetings - I don't believe we've met... welcome! A church can most certainly determine who they hire solely based on faith - if that were not so, then churches would have to post openings that anyone could apply for. Churches being able to do this most certainly falls under the First Amendment. I believe the thread was more about hiring practices - not about sexual harassment in the workplace, which is never "a right". Here's a reference for you, if you wish to read up on it --- Religious Hiring Protection Under Assault by Joseph Loconte and Jennifer Marshall WebMemo #413 February 3, 2004 | Email to A Friend | Printer-Friendly Version Ever since the launch of the President’s faith-based initiative, religious organizations’ freedom to hire according to their beliefs has been under fire from some in Congress. The latest target is the "Improving the Community Services Block Grant Act" (H.R. 3030), which the House is set to consider on the floor this Wednesday. The right of private religious groups to freely determine their membership is a cornerstone of our constitutional order. Congress should once again uphold this important freedom. A Fundamental Right Congressional insiders expect that several amendments to remove religious "hiring protections" will be offered, as happened in committee earlier. If any of these amendments were to become law, religious organizations that accept federal funding would be barred from considering the religious beliefs and values of potential employees. No right is more fundamental to preserving religious liberty. Given the size and scope of government, the loss of this protection would signal the decline of a genuinely free and independent civil society. Critics of this protection claim that employment decisions based on religion violate the anti-discrimination provisions of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The architects of that historic legislation, however, plainly understood the importance of protecting the independence of religious institutions from government control. While banning acts of discrimination in employment based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or national origin under Title VII, they crafted an exemption for religious organizations - including churches, colleges, and universities. In a 1972 expansion of the Civil Rights Act, Congress determined that any "religious corporation, association, education institution, or society" could consider applicants' religious faith in the hiring process. This exemption allows Christian and Muslim charities, for example, to hire employees who share their organizations' faith and beliefs. Counter to much misinformation, these "protections" apply only to employees - not to participants; the Community Services Block Grant and other social service programs do not permit religious charities to bar program participants because of their religious beliefs. Religious freedom in hiring is consistent with constitutional assurances of civil rights, as the Supreme Court unanimously decided in upholding these protections in Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints v. Amos (1987). It is the critics of the exemption who are trying to undo 35 years of civil rights guarantees by attacking the independence of churches, synagogues, mosques and religious organizations of every kind. Throughout the debates over federal funding of faith-based organizations, both the President and the Congress have consistently reinforced hiring protections. Indeed, President Clinton signed four laws stipulating that faith-based organizations preserve their right to staff on a religious basis when they receive federal funds, including the 1996 Welfare Reform Act and the 1998 version of the Community Services Block Grant Act. In the 108th Congress, the House has restated these clarifications for religious groups using federal funds under Head Start and the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). Most recently, Congress affirmed religious hiring protections for private schools that will participate in the D.C. voucher initiative, enacted as a part of the Fiscal 2004 Omnibus Appropriations Act. A Vital Protection There is no more vital protection for organizations with a religiously-rooted approach to social assistance than the freedom to hire according to their convictions. The leadership and staff of an organization determine its destiny. They alone will carry out its mission, uphold its priorities, and embody its deepest values. If the First Amendment guarantee of religious liberty does not protect the employment decisions of faith-based organizations - their right to free association - then it has become a meaningless abstraction. Religious organizations are not alone in this belief. Just as faith-based groups want staff members to share their most deeply held beliefs and values, secular nonprofit organizations want employees who believe fervently in their missions - everything from environmental protection to abortion rights. In this sense, the hiring policies of the Human Rights Campaign, a gay organization, are no different from those of the evangelical Salvation Army. Some say the receipt of federal money changes the rules of the game. But if that's true, then Planned Parenthood - which in 2002 got $240 million in government funds - could be forced to staff its clinics with pro-life Catholics. Stripping away the First Amendment rights of religious groups would threaten everyone's civil liberties. The right of private religious groups to freely determine their membership is a cornerstone of our constitutional order. Congress should once again uphold this important freedom as it considers the Community Services Block Grant. Joseph Loconte is William E. Simon Fellow in Religion and a Free Society, and Jennifer Marshall is Director of Domestic Policy Studies, at The Heritage Foundation.

Good grief. Sorry I asked.

I can't imagine going to Wal-Mart to buy a ..... gun! That just doesn't seem right - I'm sure they have decent guns, etc., but just the same.... I'd think someone would have to go through a gun dealer to get one - not go to Wal-Mart...

Okay, I admit I know very little about guns... So, maybe you can explain this... WHY the %* does Wal-Mart SELL AMMO in the first place? "Honey, can you get some diapers and batteries while you're at Wal-Mart today? Oh, yeah, and don't forget the bullets!" Good grief!

My heart goes out to his family, especially his wife and young children. However, I thought he had a very cavalier attitude around wild animals, which I was concerned would be picked up by the children who watched him. We have a Wiggles video of him, and although he certainly has a love for animals, I think he took some unnecessary risks all in the name of 'shock value', from what I could see on his TV program. My concern is that a kid might try to imitate how closely he got to a wild animal - thinking "since The Croc Hunter did it, I can do it." We always have issues in the spring with just this sort of thing happening - a fox or bear or whatever will come out of hibernation or be sick, and out in broad daylight - which is the first clue something isn't right with the animal. There have been incidents with children getting bitten by animals, as we have no animal control officer in our area. In short, I don't think this guy was a great example of safety around these animals. He met his end in a very freak accident - something that shouldn't have happened - something that has very low odds of happening. As another poster said, I'm not really suprised by this, I'm sorry to say.

Belle - They really can't -- religious organizations are protected under a civil rights act that they can basically use whatever screening methods they wish when hiring, to make sure they have people on-board who are going to further their cause. Since TWI has the same non-profit status as a church, then the discrimination laws don't apply to them the same as it would for a secular company. If TWI ever lost their non-profit status, it would hurt them more than just in the pocketbook - it would mean they would have to publicly post job openings and go through the same standards as say, GE or MicroSoft. In short, they have every right to fire someone because they suspect they are homosexual - the lines of that was crossed at times when LCM and others "bad mouthed" those who were dismissed - I think the other term for that is "character assassination"....

10/3 might be do-able - it's a Tuesday, and Kristopher has school, but he's out by 2:45PM and we're only about 90 mins away. Hubby wouldn't be able to make it, due to work, but he's not as into fairs and all that as I am... (read: the country girl married a city slicker), so I don't think he'll mind. For me, with the young 'uns, it all depends on the weather. If it's not freezin' cold and rainin' - we'll be there. I also don't go to these things on weekends - especially during the evening hours - with the kids, because it's just too nuts - no thanks! Maybe we should also pick a rain date - a Sunday would work for me.... how about y'all? dmiller - you gotta try it - and with cider vinegar - not that white stuff. Then, adds tons of salt and maybe some ketchup (I can skip the rotten tomato sauce, but the kids love it...) It's awesome! LindaZ - I didn't know that about Ohio, but then again, I don't think that I ever went to anything other than a ROA in OH! LOL!

I'm with BikerBabe on that one - it's been quite a rocket ride sometimes to watch people come and go in the forums, and all the drama that can come with a diverse group connected by one very strange, sometimes horrific, sometimes comical, always out of the ordinary, experience such as what we all knew from our time in TWI. I started posting on Waydale in 2000, so it's been about 6 years. I guess I could say that the life I know now is because of that (meeting hubby on Waydale, starting our family, etc.) I think we're unique because you can't tell a thearapist, a friend, or anyone else about your experiences and expect them to RELATE to it, other than someone who is also x-Way. Many times, both Hubby and I have said that we couldn't have married anyone else because there would be a level of understanding one another that would not be there with someone who had not been in TWI. Likewise, I think that's why we're successful in informing people about TWI, the practices, the beliefs, and all that - we've lived it. We were a part of it. We lost a part of ourselves - or who we thought we were - or who we were brought up to be - when we left them. This is where we came to reclaim some of that - even if it was just to post to keep others from making the same mistakes we did, or for us to just take our burdens off our backs for a bit with others who KNEW - knew from the deepest part of their hearts - what we'd seen and been a part of. That's the impact we make here. The internet connection I made on Waydale back in 1999, prior to my leaving, prior to my first posting, was so crutial. You have no idea. It was a life line for me to confirm there was life outside of TWI. I was so scared and confused and nieve. I remember my heart skipping a beat when I'd see a new post on Waydale - there were only like 10 posters in the beginning - sometimes it would be DAYS before a new post was on the board. The board didn't move and live like it does now. But even that made a difference - an impact. Fast forward to now, can you imagine - with the archieves, the threads, the thousands of subjects that have been discussed - all that - can you imagine the information and possible connections we have out there now for people to discover? It's huge.

Today was an especially tough day today. My day brightened when I plugged in Hubby's Telecaster into a Peavey 410 combo amp, set it on the crunchest setting I could find, with the volume on 5, and just let rip some nasty power chords. It sure beat power washing the floors or punching a wall. I UNDERSTAND why people crank up - it's therapy! At least, until the police show up. (That wasn't my case, but anywho....) Okay, back to your regularly scheduled program....

you are a sick, sick man (but I love you!)

You're on! I love 'em with vinegar - that's proof that someone is a real Maine-ah - no where else will you see someone put vinegar on their fries! LOL! We bought a car recently from someone in Fryeburg and have been busy restoring it. We should have it on the road by then and want to take it by to show it to him - we'll make a day of it! When is your b-day? I'm also an October baby, baby.

Any chance y'all are gonna make it to Fryeburg Fair this year?

I can't believe I found this... but here you go...

Shortfuse - I don't think TWI will ever really be destroyed. Yes, the internet has certainly had an impact on TWI - no doubt - but I think there will always be a small, disillusioned group who think they're still onto a good thing - that they're "doing God's will" - yaddy, yaddy, yaddy. I think the internet provides a way for TWI newbies and their families and friends to get more information about the group. Perhaps those family and friends can apply a little pressure to the newbie about what they're really getting into - and like joniam said, it becomes a credibility issue then. Who is going to take you seriously when you say you've found Jesus, in a cornfield in Ohio, and he's with a money-hungry, skirt-lifting, family breaking, and motorcoach rockin' organization like TWI, whose name has been in a few lawsuits?

NOT that I'm planning to do this... Maybe I'm just inspired by RumRunner's antagonistic post... BUT... What IF every former staff member who was dismissed during the homo-purge, decided to file a class action? Wouldn't THAT be interesting? If course I'm sure TWI has covered their tracks like a cat covering a turd in a litter box, but nonetheless... it's interesting to think about.... HOWEVER --- Since they are a non-profit, specifically - a church, by tax standards - do they really fall under the same laws for employment as say, Wal-Mart, or anything else in the public sector? <_<

Belle - Actually, Hubby knows some Spanish, as he took three years of it. He's one of those people who can pick up a language like it's nothing, but that's probably because his first language was Greek. He learned English when he entered public school, then took Spanish for a few years. He took Classical Greek in college, as he's only like 4 credits with a major in the Classics. So.... it seems Kristopher will follow in hubby's footsteps, but with the Spanish starting much earlier. I was raised in a family where my mother believes, "You live in America, so you should speak American." Did you know American is a language? Neither did I. I thought we spoke English here, but oh, well...

T-Bone - neat bass - I like the finish you ended up with; it sort of reminds me of an animal skin print, like tabby or leopard print. I also like your photos in your gallery - great looking beach! And are you sure that lizard wasn't hanging around to sell you car insurance? Socks - hubby has an Epi like that - it's a Wildkat. I'll get a pic of the 6-string kids sometime for y'all when I'm feeling more energenic... it's not happenin' today.... Acts2 - that Gibson has a neat vibe to it. What exactly is the mystery behind it again? (You said the PBS mystery science detectives were going to look at it....) Johnny Lingo - Doc Watson! I love him - he's on Prarie Home Companion quite often. I listen to it whenever I can, but that's not much these days. I wish they did Podcasts, but they don't - Great music on that radio show, and Doc Watson is one of my favorites. Very real, very earthy. If you have LimeWire, download some of his stuff with Emmy Lou Harris, Allison Krause, and the like - it's music from another realm, you'd swear - it just TAKES you some place simple and bittersweet when you listen to it. It's all good.