ChasUFarley

Bramble -- try getting a Greek oregano - it's more bush-like, less like a ground cover. It dries nicely and is more pungent.

Thanks for the link - looks interesting!

I have a small business on the side doing graphic design. Most of what I've done in the past is for printing but I recently had a client who wanted a web site. Not knowing what I was getting myself into, I said, "Sure. When do you want it?" So here's the final result after learning the software, uploading it, tinkering with it, etc.: http://www.catsinthecradlesoap.com Let me know what you think... (Just remember, I'm not responsible for the content.) I know some of you do this for a living (I did it to pay the oil bill but maybe someday I can do more and be a SAHM...) Thanks!

The "Hell Freezes Over" Tour was back in the mid-90's. They've gone out a few more times since then. I caught them last year in Boston - good show! =========================================== And there's a girl in this harbor town And she works layin' whiskey down

OMG - they have my favorite clip: http://www.funnyjunk.com/movies/56/Mean+old+folks/stream You gotta see it - I saw this a couple of years ago and laughed until I cried! Enjoy!

THE DOORS OF THE 21ST CENTURY JOHN KAY & STEPPENWOLF / VANILLA FUDGE / THE YARDBIRDS / PAT TRAVERS The Doors of the 21st Century - led by founding members RAY MANZAREK and ROBBY KRIEGER plus singer IAN ASTBURY, from the Cult. The group is rounded out by Phil Chen on bass and Ty Dennis on drums. I've been a fan of The Doors for a long time - got all the albums - including Jim Morrison's album of poetry that was released after his death. I never thought they'd really come up this way (NH)... The concert date is June 23rd - can't wait!

This is scary: 1. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (100%) 2. Jehovah's Witness (88%) 3. Bahá'í Faith (82%) I was raised Mormon - didn't think I held any of the beliefs anymore... I must have clicked on something by mistake somewhere....

This is a rare post by Mathman (Chas' hubby): This is at the root of many problems in education: in the private sector if something goes wrong with a large company or a corporation it's usually upper-level management that's held to the fire. In public education, teachers are the first ones to get the heat. They are the first ones held accountable when things go wrong. Administrators, on the other hand, are rarely held in account. Superintendents in particular are very difficult to remove when a district is falling apart. They are accountable to a school board who may or may not know anything about education and academic learning. Most often these people receive a token salary and work other full-time jobs. The former superintendent from the district I work in wanted to do away with letter grades, make all classes interdisciplinary, and give everyone a diploma. He never taught a day in a public school. He was a school psychologist who had no respect for academics. The outgoing, ousted, governor of our state tried to appoint this guy as state commissioner of education. Apparently, some dirt was dug up on this guy and the stiff gov. had to withdraw his nomination. Within another month the school district bought out the super's contract and he was gone. The minutes from that school board meeting were sealed for fifty years! Sounds like a backroom deal to me..

Back to the thread -- One thing that really made it seem like leadership was walking was when you'd be called on to pray for certain things at meetings.... "Johnny, please lift the Board of Trustees and the root locals." "Jane, please lift the Way Corps on the field and in training." The leaders were so "in control" of each meeting. Everything was so "decent and in order" that it was mark against the leadership if anything "unscripted" happened. I remember my husband getting reproved for praying for something that he wasn't told to pray for - whoop-dee-doo! Like, was God not going to honor his prayer because he didn't have "permission" to pray for whatever it was that was on his heart? Twits! I think that maybe 1% of reproof that happened, that I was a part of (receiving end, that is) was from revelation. I'd say 69% of it was because someone either tattled or had a personal agenda. The other 30% was just me being wonderful me (in other words, I had it coming and knew it. Yeah... I'm a brat!) I remember back on Waydale there was an excellent thread called the "Emperor's New Clothes" or something like that. Basically it was a good discussion of the lengths that TWI went to to make us think they were "really sompin' good!"

Yes - It's called the Grease Spot Cafe. I don't know of too many people who have left who instantly lost their homes, jobs, etc., - most had whatever they needed to survive (housing, food, employment, etc.). The biggest need people seem to have is SUPPORT, which is something they can certainly get here. I will say this, not to derail the thread, but just a "food for thought".... the climate at GSC seems a bit less welcoming than that of Waydale. It has nothing to do with the webmaster, Sir Pawtucketer, or anyone else in particular, but as a whole this can be a critical bunch to new posters on the board. Yes, we've had our share of trolls, but I know of a couple of instances where newbies got piled up on (pick any Momentus thread for an example), and ended up leaving quicker than they found the place. Too bad, really. I believe this group, in all it's diversity, has a lot to offer and is really a good group of people - but perhaps, and for good reason, a bit calloused... Peace.

Pipi Longstockings finally lets her hair down.

Hey! Whadda 'bout me?! :-)

Gawd this statement reminds of Atheletes Foot of The Spirit where the Seed of the serpent is groomed and the seed is planted....

Belle - that was RalphD1 who posted about the 2 sets of books... Methinks it was on Waydale....

Okay, time to put on your DJ hats... I want to make a special CD for hubby for Father's Day. He's super hard to buy for and music is the one thing I can count on to always be a hit. He loves classic rock - Aerosmith, Yardbirds (Jeff Beck), Led Zep, The Guess Who, KISS, Bad Finger, Rainbow, Jon Butcher... you get the picture. I'm a child of the 80's and still consider techno to be a form of music. I need help. What cuts can you suggest I use to make a nice, not too nice, CD for John about being a Dad? (No "Cats In The Cradle", please...) Thanks!

I'm not sure what defines a dysfunctional family... I prefer to look at some of the eccentricities of the families as free entertainment. My husband's family, who is all from Greece, is the loudest, messiest, eat-ingest bunch I've ever met. I refer to them as "The Seagulls" - at holidays, they swoop in, eat all your food, leave **** all over the place, and fly out the door. He has two spinster aunts who cuss like sailors in Greek and throw shoes at each other when they're mad (one is 81 years old, the other is 78). But, when you're down to your last dollar or need a lift or whatever - they're the ones there to dust you off and take care of you. And don't let anyone from outside the family try to pick someone in the family - that's grounds for war! If that's what dysfunctional is, then I'll take it!

ekfrasi - Thanks for the note - and welcome to the Cafe!

Excellent post, Catcup. The stewards in the Bible were given money and expected to have accountability for what they did with it. Each was expected to "report back" on what he did with the money he was given. How, in the world of TWI math, did they get "accountability = intimidation"? They never applied the reverse of this to themselves - they never chose to see how their intimidation of believers was used to get the results they wanted. The levels of intimidation they used escalated through the years - like an ocean wave wearing at a rock, erroding it until it becomes sand. As "Jane Peon Believer", I felt I was expected to be accountable TO THEM for my money, my time, my marriage - even my sex life with my husband. They wanted to worm their way into every aspect of my little life. The areas of my life that they were not invited to have access to, they clawed their way into. And the impure part... oh, don't get me started! -The woman who smoked my x-husband out for, as being a homo, left HQ for the field and took her lover - her lesbian lover - with her. -The man who ran the ministry and tried to teach us how to be better in our marriages and family - he got sued - more than once - for an "affair" (TWI's words). -The ministry that taught us to live on a needs basis - they are sitting on millions of dollars. How much do you have to work at believing God when you have several million dollars in the bank? (They should have to have "believed God" like I did for food on the table and car repairs on a vehicle with 190K miles on it!) Yup.... anutter gem of a teaching tape. I bet that one was reviewed for months in the fellowships!

Ever wonder how something that you thought was so wonderful - so worth dedicating your life to and shaing with the world - is now something we loath so much and find so distasteful? It burns my foot sometimes to think that I spent so much time with them. Yeah, yeah, yeah... it was my decision, yaddy,yaddy,yaddy... but there's days I swear I was sold a bill of goods. I'm thankful I got in young, left fairly young and was able to start over from scratch. I know others who don't have this option. I'm not being "bitter" about this - just factual. So, I guess I'll call this "I shoulda left when..." thread. I'll start.... I shoulda left when I figured out that it wasn't about how tight your walk was with God, but who you knew... but I stayed 10 more years!

That was true everwhere I lived when WC was FT - in TN, MA, and NH! I moved in with WC in MA - it was a single mother - I was her assistant. She could have knocked me over with a feather when she told me they hadn't had a new person to fellowship in 2 years! TWO YEARS! I brought several new people to that fellowship in the 6+ months that I lived with her - none of them stayed! Why? Because she either ****** them off, offended them or made them feel like an "exhibit" because they were new. She even knew how to make a night of bowling a pain in the a$$ because it wasn't about having "fun" - but about "confronting people with the Word" - even their first time meeting us! Scheesch! Now that I look at it, maybe it was for the better!

LCM brought the ministry down, as far as the outreach aspect goes, in many, many ways, but I think it was VPW's bad judgement of WHO he picked for the next president that was the "trouble brewing". Although I never heard it myself, I did hear people tell about VPW confronting the clergy and leadership at the installment of LCM as president. I would think that the doubt people had about LCM's leadership ability for the highest level of TWI would have been a nice little "red flag" for VPW. I'm sure there was probably some resentment / jealousy for LCM having the white smoke nod as being the next president. Even to me, who came on the TWI-scene in 1988, LCM wasn't the best man for the job from a 5-senses point of view. Ironcially, the day that LCM was installed as president was probably the day of the highest number of members that TWI ever had. It declined from there - rather from "the Fog Years" or other reasons. Those who didn't leave because of LCM being installed, were made to leave via other avenues.... Here's some examples that I can think of.... *"who do you stand with" letter in '89. *mandiatory Galation or Leadership Tapes that everyone was supposed to listen to or be labeled "not standing" *homo purge *debit holders purge *"your house is too messy" purge *"your children are unruly" purge *"your wife doesn't submit" purge *end of the ROA *end of the University of Life *end of the WOW program *"you're hanging on to old wineskins" purge *you're not partaking in the present truth purge (the blanket reason for m&a'ing anyone for anything) *you're not passing in your schedule purge (okay... that's not legit, but I bet someone was given the ax for that!) Throw in making WC full time - making many more WC "Corps Alumni" status for whatever stupid reason that someone could come up with. Then, top it with a horrible re-make of a class by someone with the speaking skills of a blue-a$$ed baboon and the logic of a piece of granite, and volia! A perfect recipe for disaster. I think what's kept TWI afloat financially was some very wise investments that were made during their hey-day. At least they didn't stuff their matresses with the money. I would have thought the investments were to take care of the families and wives of the trustees - yet, Mrs. W. is in a nursing home, certainly under the umbrella of Medicare, I'm sure. (She seems to be thriving, but I wonder if she's totally aware of it all... fodder for another thread, I suppose.) So, they're keeping their heads above water for now.... Wonder which property they will sell next?

I made the mistake of marrying someone from a different part of the country (I'm from Maine, he was from Alabama). He was much more the "disciple" than I was - willing to go wherever leadership "suggested". A couple of times we had made plans to move to New England, but he would get "revelation" that we shouldn't go. Once it happened THE DAY BEFORE WE WERE TO MOVE! We had sold lock-stock-and-barrel, quit our jobs, made all of our arrangements - and he changed his mind. It was a real mind *****, you know. We would go to Maine to visit my folks about once a year. Since my husband had trouble keeping a job, it was difficult for me to go home to visit any more than that. To further complicate things, my husband was really into the "present truth" to the degree where he totally alienated one of my brothers, who is homosexual (but not open about it), and really upset my mother. He lost his temper with my mother during this incident - he was one of those people who HAD to be RIGHT about something - even if he proved his point all the WRONG ways... This drove a huge wedge between me, my husband, and my family. When my father was dying I did get a call from the Limb Coordinator who basically TOLD me to go to my father to be with him. My dad had had an aneurism and lost over 75% of his blood. His vascular surgeon told us that Dad had a 2% chance of survival. I flew home the following day, stayed in Maine for 3 weeks -- my dad recovered enough to go home, and I returned to AL. My dad was a very strong man! My dad ended up with an infection from the operation I regret not staying in ME to take care of him after he went home, but there's nothing I can do about that now. He lived at home for another 12 weeks, when I got another call that he was dying. Again, I had support from the Limb Coordinator to go home. I flew back to Maine to be with my dad. The doctors said he had only 3 to 5 days to live - he lived another 3 weeks! I was there with him at the hospital every day. My dad's last words to me were, "I love you." I can't imagine what my life would be like if I was not there to hear that. He passed away about 20 mins after that. I was also able to be there for my mother and to help make the final arrangements after he passed away. Fast forward six years.... That same Limb Coordinator from AL was relocated to MA, where I happened to be living. Shortly after he moved there I found myself in a meeting with all the WC in the state of MA (all 5 of them - LOL!). I was confronted for several petty things, among them - going to visit my widowed mother in the next state too often (even though I filled out all the right forms!) (She was like an hour and a half away - and I had to get "permission" - and I was nearly 30 years old! GOOD GRIEF!) I didn't stop visiting her - I just skipped out of town when I knew there were WC meetings. No one knew and no one asked. (Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies!) When my husband and I were kicked off staff (because he was 'sniffed out' for being homo - the irony!) it was not believers who were there for us. We were basically kicked out to fend for ourselves in a city we didn't know. We had no housing, jobs, a car - nothing! We had sold everything to go on staff. The Household was not made available to us for anything - even though I knew severel people could have helped us out. My husband was m&a'ed, and I left him. After everything that happened, my family took me in with no questions asked - and I was still standing with TWI (yeah, I'm thick sometimes...). I know that my husband ended up needing to lean on his family for help - his family, by the way, was some of the nicest, most loving people I ever met in my life. I miss them, even now, but know that contact with them would be painful (I don't think he ever told them why we split and don't feel it's my place to tell them....) So, I didn't totally give up my family. I made some choices that weren't the best for a real close relationship with them at times, but I can't be a Monday-morning quarterback about it now. I'm just glad that they didn't totally give up on me!

There's some great responses here - I didn't expect this kind of discussion to take place - rather enlightening... I didn't find out VPW had cancer until I did some searches on the internet, in the late 90's. It was always so hush-hush about his death - like it was something we weren't allowed to discuss because he was too holy. I'm sure many of you were at the Adv Class in '79 or took the class on tape in Rome City or wherever. Remember how VPW would oftentimes, especially in the discerning of spirits section, basically get to his wits' end about the subject? He'd interject something like, "I just don't know how to teach it any better!" He seemed pained or frustrated - but not with the class. I took that class in 1991 - but remember wondering if he knew "the end" was near when he taught. He seemed to be a degree beyond tired at times. I don't think it was theatrics, either. Did anyone else feel this way about watching him teach back then? Again... I only knew him via tape. Also, no one has really addressed the seemingly sudden decline in VPW's health at about the same time he went to Gartmore. Do you think this was really due to "spiritual pressure" that CG placed on him while he was there? Or was this a story that LCM made up to prove a point on the Galation tapes? (To make CG out to be a "bad guy" - a really "bad guy")....

On Bob's thread titled, "Craig will be president for a long, long time...", poster Justloafing writes about his experience watching the demise of VPW in the three years after he stepped down as President of TWI. He discusses how VPW was eventually taken over by the cancer. Here's a link to that thread, in case you wish to look at it: http://gscafe.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/2...42/m/9331097321 However, it sounded to me as though VPW's excellerated when we went to Gartmore, as he died shortly after he returned. Is this true? I'm asking because I remember in the Galation Tapes (aka Leadership Tapes by LCM) that LCM inferred that C. Ge@r carried debbil spirits or was influenced by debbil spirits, that led to a much quicker decline in VPW's health. What do you think happened? Also, was VPW's illness widely known about but a "locked box" thing?

Hmmmmm..... Maybe I'm reading into something here but it seemed to me that LCM and Dr. Don weren't buddies... I remember hearing around the time that it was announced that Dr. Don had lung cancer that LCM said on a WC hookup that the cancer was because of Dr. Don being "unequally yolked" with some of his family members who were no longer standing with TWI. And this was when the man was still alive. LCM certainly said some unsavory things about him and how he chose to live his life. By Wayfer Not!'s statement, above, I wonder if there was an ugly green monster raising it's little head. Shouldn't those gifts have been for the King? (King = LCM) On another note, I remember when I was on staff and there were grumblings about some of the over weight staffers, I wondered if anyone ever approached Emogene about the amount of space she took up. She was well beyond that mid-west "large boned", farm wife look... it was closer to the "baby Orca" look. I wasn't surprised to learn about her interest in soaps and eating bon bons, which I think Radar and Linda Z and others in the know posted about. I would also love to hear Unkle Howie clarify things... I'll never forget a kiss I got from him at an advanced class "doo" that was a lot wetter and a little longer than any "holy kiss" shoulda been. It was gross. I was engaged at the time - when I told my fiance about it he figured it was "all in good fun". Yeah. Right. Fun for whom?