cheranne

I remember getting help,it was around 10 yrs after I had left The Way International I had come to a place in my life that I could not deal with alone,I had not spoken of my past in any way,in any churches I had visited or belonged briefly too,because I couldn't stay in a place,to worship because I still had deeply felt I had betrayed God! It didn't show on the outside,of my little family attending a non denominational church You see I wanted and craved to know Truth,but more than anything I wanted my children to know Jesus,so their would NEVER be a chance of them getting involved with a group such as THE Way International. Ofcourse I knew the bible and the scripture like all of ex way people do,and it is impressive to some people,but for me at that time I was wanting to really know Jesus and not to walk around feeling I had betrayed him with a kiss. At the time of realizing I needed help (meaning some serious psychotherapy) I was a religious activities director at Fort Bragg,and my job was to help guide new families on base to the religious preferance(including satanism, muslim etc......) My preferance of worship was Protestant,and I was involved in Fort Braggs Protestant Women of the Chapel and went to bible study every tuesday and meeting with all the Army wives and totting my little 2yr old baby boy,while his brother abd sister where in school where barracades had been put up because Operation Desert Storm had just began and there Dad was sent out to fight. I was doing a bible study I had started using Billy Grahams book,and as I was reading it out loud to other wives whose husbands were also gone to fight. That is when it became REAL for me, and I knew it was time to knock off all the scripture memorizing everything is great and get REAL. You see there was something blocking my ability to go on and accept the God who loved me,....without all the programs and classes and what should I wear or nametags! It got worse before it got better,and it was not easy to get The Way stuff out of my head but it was like poison in my blood and had to come out. Was I depressed? well yes, and hospitalized yes,and suicidal ....yes.

Thank you Kristen for the courage to write your book, I just ordered it from Borders Books Stores.

Hi Steveo! I got into twi in 78 in OKC,went wow 79 in Rexburg Idaho,went wow again in 80 to DC,then Phoenix Arizona to Way home in Long Island New York,to Military wow at Fort Bragg North Carolina where I came to my senses and got out of The Way and married the paratrooper I witnessed to ,had three kids and retired from the Army and now I live in the peaceful mountains in Pa.(still married with grandkids!) A little bit too much info(sorry)I got carried away!

and ofcourse Upton Sinclairs "The Jungle" Upton Sinclair's The Jungle is a vivid portrait of life and death in a turn-of-the-century American meat-packing factory. A grim indictment that led to government regulations of the food industry, The Jungle is Sinclair's extraordinary contribution to literature and social reform. ~ For those who think this book is not fit for high school reading because it's "gross, boring and hard to read," please take a moment to think. This is one of the most impactful books on American history after Appeal to Reason by Thomas Paine (for those who think that I forgot Uncle Tom's Cabin, that had no direct effect on the abolition of slavery. It, along with Bleeding Kansas, John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry, Senator Brook's attack on Sumner in Congress, the election of Abraham Lincoln, and numerous other events that led up to the secession of seven states and the form of the Confederacy ultimately leading to the Civil War.) This actually brought a direct reform on packing industries. Also you must remember that you did not have a piece of contaminated meat before you opened this book and started reading. I'd bet you would be somewhat more interested in the book if you did. And of course it's going to be gross, how else are you supposed to rouse the public to action? Bottom line, it is a vital piece of history that needs to be appreciated and understood.--Submitted by John Kean.

Here is a good read by Robin Cook. This is a very thrilling book, which takes a lot of interesting twists and turns. The medical enthused person would love reading this book!" Meredith Twaites, Resident Scholar "With all the publicity about the e-coli virus, this book will make you afraid to nibble on that fast-food buger! (I STILL can't even think of eating one without shivering after reading this little gem of Dr. Cook's.) It is a fun scary book for a rainy week-end!" Sharon Berry, Resident Scholar "After reading this book it was hard for me to eat any type of meat for awhile. Robin Cook has a way of unlocking the readers feelings about the subject to bring out the emotion. I was always aware of E. coli, but this book has definitely hieghtened my awareness. Great Job Dr. Cook!" Scott Pickle, Ph.D., Resident Scholar "TOXIN is an exciting and disturbing novel in which Robin Cook theorizes that the presence of the deadly "bug" "e-coli" in hamburger may be at least, partially caused by several factors, most of which can be chalked up to greed and the need to make things cheaper in a world of rising costs. Descriptions of a slaughter house in TOXIN, are, by themselves, a convincing argument for vegetarianism. " Here is another good book Slaughterhouse by Gail A. Eisnitz in Books By Gail A. Eisnitz - Prometheus Books (1997) - Hardback - 310 pages - ISBN 1573921661 You may be getting more than just beef in that burger. This shocking book shows what "USDA Approved" really means."I'd been documenting and exposing animal abuse for nearly 15 years. But nothing -- not the grisly cockfights nor the pathetic puppy mills, not the ritual animal sacrifices nor horrific livestock auctions -- could have prepared me for what I'd encounter once I ventured behind the closed doors of America's slaughterhouses".So writes award-winning author Gail A. Eisnitz in Slaughterhouse, a highly critical and all-too-real tour through some of America's major livestock processors. With powerful descriptions, reminiscent of Upton Sinclair's masterpiece The Jungle, hers is a frightening look at where our beef, pork, and poultry are "mass-produced" on disassembly lines that run 24-hours a day. And where U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors -- who are supposed to be assuring the public a safe food supply and protecting the animals from inhumane treatment -- ignore federal regulations, take payola, and turn a blind eye to the horrors that occur each day.Often safety standards are simply ignored. As the speed of the "kill lines" that prepare thousands of animals for slaughter is increased to boost productivity, more and more semiconscious and frightened animals pass through -- their flailing limbs lashing out and injuring workers before being brutally hacked off. But the kill line keeps going because the pressure to mass produce is intensifying to the point that human life is placed on par with that of the animals.Eisnitz includes interviews with numerous slaughterhouse workers who speak candidly of their experiences on the front line of one of the nation's largestagribusinesses. While documenting many instances of worker cruelty toward live animals, Eisnitz sees these employees as victims of the system. The meat industry, she contends, is a giant, monolith that only rewards speed and productivity, while penalizing those who take time to do the right thing.Slaughterhouse will outrage, horrify, and disgust everyone concerned about animal welfare, human rights, consumer safety, and government regulatory practices. Ninety-one years ago, Upton Sinclair brought attention to slaughterhouse atrocities, and now Eisnitz is here to report that they've only gotten worse. « less… more »

McNation Just finished "Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlosser. This book is a couple of years old, and it serves as an incomplete but in depth study of the history and impact of the fast food industry on America. Very readable and interesting, and I plan to look for more by the same author. Schlosser explores how beef is processed with a lot of detail on how the assembly line beef processing plants work. It goes without saying (doesn't it?) that governmental oversight has been bought off thanks to heavy donations to Republicans. Schlosser has a good time pointing out how free-spirited, independent and anti-government all the big beef businessmen are, despite the fact that every single one of them got huge help from governmental agencies like the Small Business Administration to get off the ground. It goes without saying (doesn't it?) that Republicans have allowed beef industry executives to exchange huge campaign contributions for the right to write their own laws at the state and federal level. The result is that beef we buy at the grocery store is literally full of dang (including the dangerous strains of E. Coli, Salmonella, etc. in the fecal matter). About the only thing that has raised the standards for beef we get from fast food places is the E. Coli scare at Jack in the Box and other places. The resulting threat of lawsuits means that fast food companies place strict rules on the beef they get from processing plants, far more strict than the government imposes. As for the working conditions, it goes without saying (doesn't it?) that Republicans have hamstrung governmental agencies like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Labor Relations Board, the US Dept. of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration by cutting funding or changing the rules by which they operate. The result is that beef processing plants can hire illegal aliens by the truckload, working conditions are horrible, and the health standards for the workplace and the output are essentially non-existant. The frequency of injuries and deaths in the slaughterhouses is staggering from what little can be learned (because the government isn't allowed to keep meaningful statistics and the slaughterhouses routinely fake their reports anyway). The average worker lasts less than six weeks at one of these places, which is why they broadcast on Spanish language stations in the barrios of America and in Mexico trying to find warm bodies to fill spots. We organize against Nike sweatshops in Asia, but these places have far worse working conditions, and it seems like no one cares. It's not that the whole book is filled with the kind of liberal screed that I've just written. It's just what I thought was the most interesting stuff. Schlosser also talks about the origins of the industry, telling the stories of the first McDonald's restaurant in California and how it grew, etc. He talks about where the fries come from, the flavor industry, how the whole franchise system works. I think the best quote about restaurant operations comes from a typical teenager who said, "I wouldn't eat anything from this place that I didn't prepare myself." I guess the only advice the author really has other than becoming a vegetarian is that we have to look to buy beef from places that keep the processing humane, sanitary and under control. There are places like this, and they aren't very expensive compared to the normal price of beef. They are just really hard to find. Posted by Observer at July 24, 2003 08:59 AM

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have , and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here. Seems like someone has not been to the barrios,ghettos,slums and appalacia...what is this a judgement from a tv show. Have you been to our homeless shelters,theres a lot of hurt here in our country and still a lot of Faith.

Not Bitter in Pa. But disgusted with money making wloves in sheeps clothing be it TWI or anywhere else. Just a waste of time.

Cow, E. Coli, Sanitation Violations Alleged At Rubashkin Plant – Sewage on Kill Floor, Insect Infestation, Found The UFCW Union press release and the AP report are posted after the jump in the extended post below. I'll have more details on this soon. FOOD SAFETY INVESTIGATION UNCOVERS VIOLATIONS AT NATION’S LARGEST KOSHER MEATPACKING COMPANY Government documents reveal failures at Agriprocessors’ Nebraska Plant to safeguard consumers from mad cow disease and E. coli, as well as more than 30 sanitation violations ranging from sewage to insect infestation WASHINGTON – A new investigative report documenting food safety issues at the Agriprocessors, Inc., Local Pride Plant in Gordon, Neb., shows a pattern of food safety violations, including failures to properly implement bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or “mad cow” disease, and E. coli safeguards, as well as more than 30 sanitation violations, ranging from sewage on the kill floor to insect infestation. This report comes on the heals of the Westland/Hallmark Meat Company recall, which was the largest recall in United States Department of Agriculture history. With more than 143 million pounds of meat being recalled because of increased risk of mad cow contamination, consumers are extremely concerned about the safety of the products they purchase. The new report, which was released today by the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) International Union, analyzed government documents received through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. The documents revealed that Agriprocessors’ Gordon, Neb., plant had more than 115 Noncompliance Records (NR) from July 2005 to March 2007. These documents are issued when Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) personnel determine that a company has failed to meet certain safety or regulatory requirements. In the case of Agriprocessors’ Local Pride Plant, food safety inspectors raised concerns regarding the company’s failure to implement mad cow and E. coli safeguards, as well as overall sanitation issues at the plant. Agriprocessors’ sells products under the Aaron’s Best and David’s labels and is a supplier for Nathan’s Famous Kosher Hot Dogs. The new report states, “a critical aspect of any food safety system is sampling for E. coli. E. coli H157 is a bacteria found in the intestines of cattle.” According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), meat can become contaminated during the slaughter process. E. coli, the CDC states, “often causes severe bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps” and could result in “acute kidney failure in children.” E. coli has been responsible for at least 20 recalls in 2007 alone. This new report comes after a UFCW food safety investigation in August of 2007 of Agriprocessors’ Postville, Ia., plant uncovered serious issues including recalled products, mad cow related safety concerns and repeated fecal and bile contamination. In addition, several Members of Congress sent a letter to the USDA in November inquiring about the state of food safety at Agriprocessors and what actions the agency plans to implement given the repeated nature of food safety problems at the plant. Download: I found this intresting.

oh I like that too!

Just leave all these people alone! What gives you the right to judge.

just leave all these people alone! Who are you and what gives you the right to judge.

pig farm yum!

I like it.could live with it but would want a flock of nothing but black sheep!

I like thr gargoyols

Do buildings count as ART? Here is m y hometown

I was always intrested in spiritual things ,religions of the world, and all. But..after twi I was obsessed to the point of researching EVERYTHING!!!!! I didn't think that was very healthy either,and after I left I was still in that identity of research ,I tried to be "NORMAL" but I guess I just did pfal too many times ,twig,wow and ate, slept and I was like this transformer robots in disguise. really a freaking headache to undo(as many of us here at gs know I am sure)

That was FUNNY!

Pa. crews rescue nude man stuck in portable potty LEBANON, Pa. (AP) -- Rescue crews had to cut apart a portable toilet to rescue a man who got stuck naked inside the potty. Authorities say the 31-year-old man used his cell phone to call 911 on Sunday from inside a portable toilet. Police say the man had been drinking and had taken off his clothes. Somehow, he immersed himself in the holding tank. Deputy fire commissionertold WPMT-TV, "I've been on the job in one form or fashion for 21 years, and this is the first port-a-potty rescue I've ever had." Police charged the man with public drunkenness and creating a health code violation, but they have no idea why he was in the toilet with his clothes off. They said he didn't suffer any serious injuries. ---

Yes thanks paw and rumrunner you were intresting.I listened to most of it can't be on the phone with a two yr old.

If you believe in something your selling,its a sales pitch. I never liked "witnessing" and would just go about my day and invite people over for twig and let them see if it was for them or not. I never understood why people had to read Dale Carnegies how to win friends and influence people,it shouldn't be work just talking to people, Maybe that is why I hate sales people coming up to me in stores..just leave me alone..just looking!