Jim

Come on people, where's your attitude of gratitude?

"Everyone open up your Sing Along the Way and turn to Standing on the Promises..." Um, no.

30 would be better. They would be less likely to join a cult when they get out.

I made a request for my discharge papers, training records, security clearances and test results here and got a nice package back about 3 months later. I don't know of any faster way. If it is critical, you might want to call a private investigator and see if they could help you.

The only thing I'll add is this - I find it very sad if humans are the only intellegent life in the universe.

Where's Research Geek? He has some great stooreees....

The Pentecost song by Dean Ellenwood. Some of Johnny Cash's older stuff. The fourth movement of Dvorak's Serenade for Strings. Domine Deus in Bach's Mass in B minor. Peter, Paul and Mary.

Great pictures. I love those big old engines. I did in-port service and modifications to APL ships back in my TWI youth. Mostly calibrating temperature sensors, doing wiring for refrigerated containers and fixing winch controls. APL ships then had twin boilers and turbine, along with big diesels for backup power. I've also done some volunteer work restoring an old diesel-electric locomotive. Pictures of an overhaul would be greatly appreciated if ever available.

I think the thread has reached the point where any further discussion is bound to get people seriously upset. So bear with me. I don't want to do that. Did VPW take a "revisionist" point of view concerning the Holocaust? Yes, "The Myth of the 6 Million" was in the bookstore. Did VPW practice antisemitism? No. Ethnic Jews held high and trusted positions in TWI. Did VPW support the concept of modern-day Israel and Zionism? No. Not a chance. Didn't fit with his ideas of dispensations and it stole his thunder. So I don't think it can be boiled down into simple terms. VPW was a master at playing up the things that strengthened TWI and condemning the things that didn't.

Was he a Nazi? No. Nothing about TWI reflected a belief in any sort of racial superiority/inferiority . Now WOW might be construed as a world domination viewpoint, but that's a stretch. As others have pointed out, VPW was patriotic in a highly conservative way, and was not in favor of communist or fascist governments. OTOH, in a different time and place, could VPW have been one of Hitler's henchmen? I think yes. But it's an unfair question. And if you ask it, you also get to ask how many of the Way Corps would have been SS members. And how many of us followers would have cheered at the rallies. And we're back to where we started. I'm just glad most of us have learned something from our mistakes. I know I have.

Anyone else think it was a little bit over the top? And that it managed to ignore 60 years of communism while playing up their cultural heritage?

I wonder if the staff refers to her as Queen Victoria. I know I would.

My wife watches Joel Osteen and likes him. I suspect he does more good than harm, which sets him above most churches. As to the flight attendant, I'm a little confused. In my state and in most, workers compensation is the sole remedy for workplace injuries.

Exactly. There would be absolutely nothing wrong with TWI making available a booklet on marital relations, offered to married and soon-to-be married couples. What was absolutely wrong was showing the material graphically to everyone. Along with the implication that TWI and VPW should be your primary source of information on the subject. I can't believe how cheesy it was.

Wasn't there a Way Builder designing an "improved" Weber for VPW? What became of that?

I used to be of the same opinion. Not any more. Funerals are for the living, not for the dead. Let her friends and relatives celebrate her life. For that matter, let your friends and relatives celebrate your life when you die.

Big sins and little sins. Or if you're not a believer, big hurtful behavior and little hurtful behavior. I don't think your thoughts alone can be sinful or hurtful behavior.

On the living room floor watching the TV. I took a black and white picture of the first step on the TV screen, developed and printed it that night and sold it to the community newspaper the next day. They ran it that week with a small story. We've come so far with other technology but we've not made it back to the moon.

Freecycler/craigslist/ebay, commute with electric bike when I can.

It's been said that a man spends his life seeking the approval of his father. I submit that VPW was the symbolic father to these men.

Bumpy didn't do himself or the forums a favor with all of his out of band communications. It's obvious that he's one thing to his group of email and PM friends that apparently know his true identity, verses the person he choses to appear as on this forum. And it's a bit unfair for the people that know him to claim that he should be judged by what they know him to be when the rest of us can only see him as a troll and troublemaker. I think that the very great majority of the people who post here are honest and straightforward with what they believe and what they want to discuss. Even the Wierwille fan club is at least consistent and out-front with their beliefs. I can't tell you what a rarity this is for an online community. Part of the thanks goes to Paw, part to the Allens for making a great start with Waydale, and much to all the honest and good members. Bumpy, OTOH, only seemed to want to troll and to get a reaction. Attempts to carry on reasoned discussions with him were responded to with ridicule and scorn. I challenge any of Bumpy's supporters to show an instance where he gave useful or supportive advice to another member. I don't miss him and I hope I'm done talking about him.

John, Thanks for the clarification. TWI had a Rev. Knapp and it was an easy jump to imagine that someone related to Trancenet might be him.

So this isn't the TWI Rev. Knapp?

COUNSELING FOR FORMER CULT MEMBERS Still having difficulty with your job, your relationships, your family, your life — even after leaving your cult? -John M. Knapp http://knappfamilycounseling.com/cultst.html

I'm not on staff, don't have moderator privileges, don't do tech support. Just a user. If my attitude seems too authoritative at times, well I guess I come off that way because I don't usually speak unless I'm pretty sure of myself. I'll work on it. OTOH, I've participated in TWI online communities going all the way back to Trancenet. I've also moderated and admin'ed a tech support forum and I've been involved with many online communities. I have a pretty good idea of what makes this a great online community and I also have a pretty good idea of the types of behaviors that are disruptive. As to Bumpy, I've already stated my concern. Trolling and sockpuppetry. I PM'ed Paw telling him that. Whether my PM made any difference or not in the banning of Bumpy, I don't know. Paw never answered and I didn't expect him to. The only reason I'm talking about a private communication is because it might clarify my status.