Belle

I think they need to have much better management and especially budgeting oversight, but it IS cool. I just have to wonder if the ROI is there. What ROI do we have to show for the ISS out there now? But, this is just a pencil pusher talking. Semi- I just finished reading Dan Brown's "Deception Point" and it's great! It does pique one's interest about the benefits of NASA and the costs involved, though.

ROFLMAO!! Mark, I thought you were telling us about a new pet.... you know, something superior to the Amazing Sea Monkeys.

mj aka pond is just jealous that she hasn't made any spectacular changes in her life. It's really frustrating to see others bettering themselves while she continues to wallow in the quagmire of her life. She's not going to change - she said the same b.s. when she was posting as mj. I recommend frustrating her even further and not acknowledging her idiotic illogic. cman, good on ya! Thanks for sharing and thanks for bringing up this very difficult but poignant topic. Continuing to pray for your strength and healing.

I'll type mine up tomorrow for ya, Dooj. There's LOTS of ingredeements in Cajun cooking and I've got to walk the dog tonight. :)

Mark, I JUST bought a six pack of that tonight!!! I came down here to suggest it seeing as how I really like it. Must be a "great minds" thing, eh?

I don't know about vee pee, but I do know for sure that craiggers went on more than one tirade about how full of b.s. AA is. Among some of the things I remember him yelling about is that AA teaches people to continue saying that they are an alcoholic even if they haven't had a drink in ten years. Another is the praying to "God as you see him" and that they end their meetings with the vanity of the Lord's prayer (rote repetition).

Then I know perzackly what to bring you whenever I get to come visit that way! I'll have some in the fridge should you and the fam make it my way to play with the Rat and Shamu!

Garth, the friends I sent that to absolutely loved it! They aren't necessarily non-Christian (dunno/don't care what one would call them actually), but they are anti-establishment, including "money grubbing churches" (as they call them). After being forbidden from saying "Christmas" for so long, I say it at every chance I get. I despise the words, "Happy Holidays" because it's what I had to say instead. During this time of year folks are celebrating all kinds of things - say what you (rhetorical) want, I'm going to say "Christmas" cause that's what I'm celebrating. I do send Happy Hanukkah cards and gifts to my Jewish friends, though. To each his own - live and let live - don't sweat the small stuff - don't pet the sweaty stuff - poh-tay-toe - poh-tah-toe - toh-may-toe - toh-mah-toe - schlemeel - schlemazel - hasenfeffer incorporated ... oops, got a little carried away there, sorry!

HEY, HEY, HEY!! Wait just a doggone minute here! no need to get nasty.

I'd rather have an alcoholic than mj for a friend any day, that's for sure. At least most alcoholics aren't self-righteous, un-empathetic, heartless, ignorant souls who are deluded into thinking they are so perfect that they're able to judge others based on zero knowledge and compassion. The truth? I think mj's life is absolutely pathetic and miserable and that's why she has to attack and kick others when they're down.

More lessons never taught by TWI: Pro 5:18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Pro 5:19 [Let her be as] the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. Pro 5:20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

I'm a Sam Adams Snob - I love Sam Adams, especially the seasonal ones. There used to be an Awesome Australian beer called XXXX - yep, that's it - 4 X's - actually Castlemain's XXX is the formal name, I think. I can't find it down here anymore, maybe you have it up there, though. I've actually become somewhat more of a win-o lately.

Sorry, it ain't true Cajun in my book unless it's got them slimy okra pieces in it. Got to have lots of cayenne in the roux and andouille sausage, too! Now I'm cravin' some crawfish and I don't care if it's in Etoufee, Jambalaya or Gumbo!

Desperation Dinners is a book written by busy full time working moms and most of the recipes include enough left overs to make something different in very little time the next night. Some of my favorites come from that book. I'll look 'em up when I get home, cause I don't remember 'em off the top of my head right now.

Some folks I've come to associate with their avatars because they've had them for so long. Yours is one of them. I don't even look at the name, just the pic - Sushi is another - Catcup, Tom Strange, Jonny Lingo, DMiller, Krys, Psalmie, WhiteDove, Cindy!/Chinson, Raf, etc.... I guess I should start paying better attention. Sushi - Thanks for obliging me.

*owe no man anything* - nuff said. *suggestion from leadership is tantamount to a command* 1Sa 15:23 For rebellion [is as] the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness [is as] iniquity and idolatry. - GAWD, the times I heard this one when I disagreed with something....anything.... This was taught over and over again in my local area any way. Pro 21:19 [it is] better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman. - Yep, that was thrown in the face of all the women at several of the "women's advances" I was ...cough, cough.... "blessed" to attend. Things I DON'T remember being taught: - The good Samaritan - certainly not any teachings that we should be like that good Samaritan. - Jam 2:16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be [ye] warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what [doth it] profit? - we were taught that people needed da verd - not "things". - Mar 12:33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love [his] neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. - and who did TWI teach was our neighbor? OTHER TWIts!! That's it! Not anyone else was worthy. - Ecc 9:7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. - Too many TWIt rules for this to be possible even if they did teach it (which they didn't) - Ecc 12:12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books [there is] no end; and much study [is] a weariness of the flesh. - This doesn't fit with TWIt doctrine and practice. It seems as though even Jesus narrowed the whole lot down to this one verse.... Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man. Period - end of story - why go to the trouble of straining so many gnats?

Great post, Dot! And, Vegan, so true. They had "grooming" down to an art, didn't they?

Regardless of what they called it, I repeat: Whatever TWI decided to teach - WHATEVER TWI DECIDED TO TEACH - they claimed absolute authority to not only teach it, but also to enforce said teachings - mostly because they tied it in to scriptures. You're really not going to go the "it wasn't written down so it didn't happen" b.s. again, are you?

I watched a fascinating documentary on the ark yesterday. It was about the Ethiopian people who claim to have the ark and they also have lots of replicas of it. Some physicists did an experiment with their own ark that they made and showed how the shifting during movement with the wool covering could have generated enough static electricity to shock the ever living crap out of someone. Very interesting. I'm always fascinated by these discoveries. Thanks, Mark!

Ummm..... actually they DID teach about investment skills and money management as well as time management. :unsure: Not only did they teach these things, people were checked up on, micro-managed and even M&A for not following those teachings. TWI didn't just teach and let folks make their own decisions like most churches do. Sure some churches teach against birth control, but they don't send leaders into your house to check for evidence of birth control. TWI took everything to the extremes - extreme control. When TWI did decide to teach on something you either followed the company line to a "T" or you were out.

Yes, Method and Origin are the "tree hugger" brands and I do like them. They also make other cleaning products that are good, too. I just wish they were more affordable, but then again, organic produce is more expensive, too. It's just costly to live healthy and so I do it as I can afford it. (not bit chin that's life). I LOVED Surf, but then it became harder to find. I go for smell more than anything. I like Fresh Smelling clothes and I like strong smells, I guess. I do like the Tide with Simple Pleasures or the one with Downy included in it cause I am never around for the rinse cycle when you're supposed to add that stuff. I've bought the cheap stuff before and maybe it gets the clothes clean, but I want them to smell clean, too. In fact, I tried the Tide with Simple Pleasures because an ex-boyfriend always smelled so "fresh" and nice when we went out. That's what he used.

THAT'S a Greasespot Gem if I've ever seen one. I shudder to realize the depth of the truth of it.