Belle

Jackie Brown Rober DeNiro Heat

With the embarassingly small numbers of people in the corps program even the single and family corps "trainees" aren't enough to keep Gunnison running. They were adding staff up there, I think, shortly before I left.

I think, too, Chas, that many people really didn't agree with or want her on the BOT, much less becoming president.

Pity, isn't it Lindy? People give up so much for a stupid group. It hurts at first when you're in and someone you really care about gets kicked out or leaves, but it starts happening so frequently that you get numb to it. You no longer get really close to people - you can't anyway - if they knew what you really thought, they'd rat you out. Then since you've hardened yourself and gotten that protective wall up, when people leave you just think of it as one more weak link removed from the chain.... It must be really lonely to be in TWI right now.

It was generated by vee pee's conspiracy theory fetish and, I think, we all got caught up in his conspiracy theories. We started believing him and feeling like we were in on something the evil government wouldn't want us to know. I'm surprised he didn't try to sell us the alien beings the government didn't want anyone to know they found.

I had to get rid of my Rock Stars Christmas Album, Dolly Parton Christmas Album and others that had the correct lyrics. :(--> David, my ex checked out a few books from the library that were listed in a bibliography of one of vee pee's books. He was discussing it with our local corpse and they asked him why he was wasting his time with those books when vee pee had already pulled the "gems" from the book....

I remember hearing Corrie Ten Boom speak when I was in Jr. High School. She had pictures and told some of the most incredible stories. I remember trying to reconcile what TWI taught about the Holocaust with the stories of Corrie Ten Boom, Anne Frank's Diary, my grandparent's visits to the concentration camps and all the other stuff. I couldn't do it, but it was one of those things I "held in abayance". I never disputed it either though.

Justloafing, there's another category of people who knew and didn't speak out. That's people like Moneyhands, who knew and his wife counseled rape victims. They didn't speak out because they didn't want to get kicked out and have to start working at real jobs in the real world. They keep their mouth shut for the money. Too easy to bribe.

Smurfette, I think all the abuse he's taken from people in TWI has contributed to his adamancy to hide any weakness. Janet wasn't the only one to falsely accuse him of things and she sure wasn't the only one to tell him how incompetent, useless and weak he is. Rico, Ed, Matthew ....there are many, many people with blood on their hands regarding his self-esteem (and many other broken people). I think, too, it's been 8 years since he's spoken with anyone in his family and he may be ashamed to be the one to initiate contact, but he shouldn't be. They would welcome him with open arms and they didn't continue hoping and praying for him back in their lives just so they could tell him "I told ya so." Bob's the only one who can fix this, though. My ex is hinging everything on his family apologizing to Bob, but all Bob has to say is that he doesn't need an apology and that he thinks my ex should reconcile with his family. He has to make it clear and not some off the cuff half whispered comment. Hopefully, Bob still has a shred of humanity and a few logically working brain cells left in him.

KEWL! Thanks for the pics. Rose looks precious! Vixen and I have a blast in dog training classes. We started with Puppy 101 and have progressed through increasingly difficult levels. We've learned all kinds of fun tricks and it's good for her to get out around other dogs. It also wears her out working her brain and excitement level for a while....and we all know a tired dog is a good dog. :D-->

HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS TO YOU, EX!! I hope it's an absolutely wonderful birthday! :D-->

I call it "spank yer pita", Oak. Glad you had a good Father's Day/Birthday! You certainly deserve it!! If I was there I'd buy you a round at the pub. :D-->

Spoken from my heart, Catcup. :)--> I know that Geek and you have done a lot to dispell the errors taught in TWI and that any similarities, in your situation, would be from "holding on to the good" from your perspective. I can respect that. I also know how much time GSpot can take up :D--> and, as a result, I'm so thankful for everyone who posts here. It helps not only newbie outties like me, but long time outties and the lurkers. The impact we make on others can not be measured and I know that from years of lurking. I suppose some of those speach techniques can be used for good, but for me, for now, they are evil and manipulative when I recognize them and I have to really work my brain and emotions to not blow up.

Today is his birthday, Bob. Wouldn't a call from you telling him to contact his family be the best birthday present? To him it would. It would free him up to contact them without shame and with a clear conscience.

Very well put, Catcup! Bob & Dottie have sold their souls to the devil of TWI. I just hope that Bob will do at least one good thing before he leaves the state. He is responsible for my ex havig no contact with his family and my ex says that unless his family apologizes to Bob that he will continue having no contact with them. It tears him up and he is so lonely and so hurt. he would like nothig better than to be reconciled with his family but tries his damndest to hide that part of him because it shows weakness. All Bob would have to do is tell him that he should give his family another chance, let bygones be bygones - contact his parents and sisters and he would do it. But if Bob keeps his mouth shut, my ex will continue to be lonely, bitter, depressed and unhappy. It's just not fair and it's not right that Bob has taken his family from him. It's not right that my ex blindly obeys Bob; but Bob could put him back on the right path if he only had a heart.

My dear Song, with all due respect, your line of questioning would be better suited for a private topic. :)--> Catcup contributes a lot to this board and I respect her thoughts, experiences, knowledge and willingness to share of her life here. Please don't antagonize her and derail my thread. I am reallly struggling with distrust issues and anger issues because of years of "reading between the lines", listening to b.s. propaganda and being manipulated by very talented wc. I would like very much to hear how others have overcome this and how they deal with it if it still comes up in their personal lives. Justloafing, I had a similar experience to yours. I participated in a small group "Purpose Driven Life" study with the church I sometimes attend. It was in the homes; small groups; watching a video and then discussing it afterwards. The whole premise of his book became obviously performance based religion. It was disgusting. One night as we watched the video, I made notes on everything he said that was wrong and the scriptures that backed up my counter points. I let loose after the meeting then went to my car and bawled my eyes out all the way home. I quit going to the groups and told my group leader why, but it didn't change or lessen my anxiety, hurt and anger at sitting through the same b.s. I'd spent so many years in.

Lavender, I'm guessing "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead"

A League of Their Own Madonna Desperately Seeking Susan I'm a child of the 80's, what can I say? ;)-->

Leah is working in the music department at hq, she was less than a year ago anyway.

Thanks Mr. H and Song. I hope the same thing. :)--> I hope there is at least one shred of humanity left in the man.

Thanks, Song! I shall peruse this during the day today. :)-->

Witches of Eastwick Cher Mermaids Welcome Back, Raf!!! It's good to read you. -->

New song: Philosophy is a walk on slippery rocks religion is a light in the fog

I thought surely you would get it George. :D--> It's the Crash Test Dummies. I just love their music style. It's great dog-walking music. I just have to be careful about singing out loud while I'm walking....scares the neighbors. Here's the lyrics and then I'll pick a different song: Superman's Song Crash Test Dummies ------------------------------------ Tarzan wasn't a ladies' man He'd just come along and scoop 'em up under his arm Like that, quick as a cat in the jungle But Clark Kent, now there was a real gent He would not be caught sittin' around in no Junglescape, dumb as an ape doing nothing Superman never made any money For saving the world from Solomon Grundy And sometimes I despair the world will never see Another man like him Hey Bob, Supe had a straight job Even though he could have smashed through any bank In the United States, he had the strength, but he would not Folks said his family were all dead Their planet crumbled but Superman, he forced himself To carry on, forget Krypton, and keep going Superman never made any money For saving the world from Solomon Grundy And sometimes I despair the world will never see Another man like him Tarzan was king of the jungle and Lord over all the apes But he could hardly string together four words: "I Tarzan, You Jane." Sometimes when Supe was stopping crimes I'll bet that he was tempted to just quit and turn his back On man, join Tarzan in the forest But he stayed in the city, and kept on changing clothes In dirty old phonebooths till his work was through And nothing to do but go on home Superman never made any money For saving the world from Solomon Grundy And sometimes I despair the world will never see Another man like him

Do something Godly for a change before you leave for the UK. Encourage people to reconcile with their families that they deserted because of your "suggestion" (tantamount to a command). Specifically: You now know that the irritating father you said was courting major devil spirits was absolutely correct in his assessments of craiggers. For an SOB he sure had craiggers pegged. Regardless of what YOU think of him, he is still someone's father. You have taken the son away from that and away from his broken hearted mother, sisters, nephews and nieces. He's missed births and deaths (including the death of his very favorite relative, his maternal grandmother). They have not given up hope of reconciliation with him. They have consistently sent cards, letters, gifts, phone calls, etc. through anyone they thought would deliver them to him and they prayed that he would read them, accept them and contact his family. He's broken hearted too, and lonely, but would never admit to having any weakness knowing that it's not allowed nor tolerated in TWI. If you truly are the minister you claim to be, I implore you to teach love and forgiveness. You reconciled with your father after a time, shouldn't those who look up to you have at least that much? You're the one who broke the family with your "suggestion" and you're the only one who can repair the relationship. Quit lying, Bob. Quit devising your wicked schemes to tear families apart. Quit pretending that you know somone is possessed. Start preaching and practicing forgiveness, honesty, long-suffering, reconciliation among families. It's the right thing to do, and you know it.