Oakspear

"Okay, so when it comes to all manner of new age voodoo, the burden of proof is upon the skeptic to show that it doesn't work. Is that the new standard?" Of course not. The burden of proof is on the one with the "new age voodoo" as you call it...if...they were trying to prove anything. "If something like "reiki" adds a nice diversion and provides a good massage, fine. But if the practitioners bring in their bias against modern medicine, it can interfere with the best chance the patient has." Agreed, but personally, I haven't seen it. I don't know of any reiki folks who encourage people to stay away from doctors. Or even to substitute reiki any mainstream medical treatment. You think I've made up my mind? Exactly the opposite. On the other hand, a lot of reiki practitioners (and every other "alternative healing" shell game) are out there peddling a sense of certainty to people who can't afford it. Maybe, I haven't seen them personally, but I'm sure that it happens somewhere. Certainty? I've not seen a reiki practicioner guarantee anything.

I haven't heard outrageous claims by Reikilady or any of the other Reiki practicioners that I know. I haven't heard any pressure to get Reiki treatments, or derision of those who don't believe that Reiki works. I can't address what goes on anywhere else: what kind of money is involved or time committment or what have you, just what I have seen. If it works, then hooray for Reiki. If it doesn't work, what harm has been done that hasn't been done by someone getting prayed for? If someone claims that they "feel better", maybe they are deluding themselves, or maybe not, why should anyone else care?

What? "Cure For Pain" is a great CD!

That's right, I have had reiki treatments and I haven't given up my Morphine yet.

Scout: Since you're going to attend, could you send me an email? As we get closer I'm going to try to coordinate arrival times for those who are flying in so we make minimal trips to the airport...and maybe draft some of the drivers to help on shuttle duty too! oakspear@hotmail.com

There was a mini-MOG in Minnesota that used that line.We were at a class, eating together at lunch. After most of us were finished eating, some of the smokers noticed Rev. Wannabe lighting up, so they did as well. We were roundly reproved for smoking. No ashtrays provided means "no smoking", he said. To forestall the question of why HE was smoking, he told us that he was the man of God teaching the class and should be allowed certain priveleges.

Sounds to me like this woman that is being raked over the coals was invited by the father's wife.

Sorry you can't make it, Shell, hope Kelly is okay. Keep the rez on that room until the last possible minute, in case soemone decides to come who hasn't reserved a room yet. I'm sure by now the football cultists have the rest of 'em snatched up.

There were people who were offered ordination, but did not accept it. JC, the AV guy, turned it down for years, but finally acquiesced in the late 90's. Howard A publically said on several occassions that he did not want to be ordained. His stated reasoning was that reverends had to marry and bury people, and he didn't want to do the latter. Personally I thought that Howard carefully cultivated his common man, "aw shucks" persona, and that refusing ordination was all part of that. I believe he enjoyed being referred to as the "world's greatest layman" or whatever it was that Wierwille called him. Neither Ermal Owens nor Harry Wierwille were ordained. On another note: to what extent did TWI recognize folks ordained outside TWI, but who were part of TWI? THere was a man, I believe in Florida, who passed on in the early 90's, who was ordained in a Protestant denomination, and was called "reverend" in TWI. Martindale said something along the lines of "once a rev., always a rev." I know that there is at least one poster here who was ordained outside TWI, but wasn't recognized as such by TWI.

The official Weenie Roast Board of Governers would have to make a call like that. If the wedding were considered a Weenie Roast next year's would be the frith, and the wedding/roast would be the furth (or fruth, or maybe foruth)

Aside from Garth's sarcasm (how could you miss it, laid on with a trowel as it was) HE'S not the one claiming harm, WD, YOU are.

Tom Hanks played an assassin in "The Road to Perdition" - do you think that tells something about Mr. Hanks?They were MOVIES johniam.

I don't assign a "celestial value" to women or men. Who "puts us in our place"? No, I don't think LCM should have "gotten clocked". Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent

Vickles addressing johniam: I have to ask you this and its not meant to point fingers at you at all. But from all the time I've read your posts I get the feeling that there is some kind of anger towards women in general. There must have been something thats happened in your life to take these things to such an extreme. This is what I get from what you posted in several other threads. Please say this isn't true. I'd truly like to understand why you continuously feel that women get away with stuff and men don't. Is that how you feel? ************************************************** Johniam responding: Yes, it's how I feel! Not "in general", but in specific situations, this being one of them. It seems to me that some women act as though when they do something well they want all respect all the time, but when they screw up, they want to be treated like "special ed" students who should not be held accountable for their behavior like other people (men). Not just women who make headlines like Andrea Yates, but women I see out in public and even at fellowships I attend. I get really sick of having to be the bigger person all the time. I think many women routinely take advantage of men in this way in interpersonal relationships. If a fly or mosquito buzzed in your ear for several seconds at a time you'd probably swat at it involuntarily until it stopped. That's not violent or abusive, it's merely being human and needing your space. I personally believe that 90% of so called domestic violence cases are initiated by the woman. They get emotional, they don't know or care when to shut up, they keep verbally hammering away at that man non stop, driving him up a wall.......the only defense that man has is to either flee his own house, or clock her like she deserves. But how convenient it's illegal for him to do that. So he stews for awhile until he can't take it anymore and then "swats the fly" and gets put in jail. Who will dare hold the woman responsible for causing this? It's never going to be legal for men OR women to injure anybody, but this situation in our culture all but encourages women to be predators. Yes, Vickles, I DO think women get away with stuff and men don't.

Hey! Are you trying to get this thread back on track?

Even though I won't be there, I highly recommend the Weenie Roast to anyone. I've been to two, and have had a great time at both. The Second Annual was pretty wild, with much alcohol consumed, pole dances, a video documentary, and great stories by Littlehawk and Sudo. The Third (or Thrid) Annual was a bit more subdued, but we did a lot of heart-to-hearts, and did some hiking near an awesome waterfall. It's fun to post and chat, but there's nothing like meeting with some of your fellow GSers face-to-face.

You just never learned to submit, did ya Abi? ; - ) |=0

Jonny: There is a thread discussing possible changes in what names are allowed to be typed in full, which should be in "code form", etc. in the OPen Forum.

1971 - HQ 1972-1974: Sidney 1975: Lima 1976-1977: Sidney 1978-1995: HQ If memory serves

I didn't think that the ROA was ever in St. Mary's

An example of "naming names" in an, IMHO, inappropriate manner, is the "sleeping with VP to get ordained" thread. At least one woman is described as a nice enough person, but has her name smeared by being called Wierwille's mistress. No proof, just that it was "common knowledge".

If the man actually touched you, i.e. pushed you or hit you, that's one thing. You have the privelege of deciding how to best be an example to your child, but here's another perspective:I am fully capable of physically defending myself. I have some martial arts training that I keep up on, and can take care of the average big mouth-tough guy (and am smart enough to recognize those who I CAN'T take on). My kids know this, and the young people that I work with know this. I can't recall any incidents like yours when I was with my kids, but it happens all too frequently where I work. Big mouthed, drunken idiots start trouble all the time. I have been threatened with all manner of beatings and mutilation, I have been called every name in the book. Usually I keep my voice calm, my body language non-threatening, but prepared for anything. I don't let the morons get me going. Generally, the response from my younger co-workers is admiration for the way I stayed calm in the face of abuse, and derisive laughter at the knucklehead who thought he was something, when he was really a bag of hot air.

It's ironic that one of the crash victims mentioned in the link was a hard-nosed Martindale wannabe through most of his post graduation Corps assignments (although I hear from some who knew him that he was a great guy before going in) and spoke of many who left TWI or suffered illness or misfortune in EXACTLY the same manner that Martindale spoke of him. This man helped to wreck several marriages, and ruled with an iron fist. He emulated Martindale and would have done ANYTHING that he asked. He and his wife were SO waybrained that his wife, upon hearing of her husband's death by a State Trooper, reportedly WITNESSED to him. Martindale did whatever necessary to cover his own foot, and explain his so-called revelations, even to someone as blindly loyal, and rabidly "confronting" of "weakness" as this man.

It's the furth ; - ) Have fun, guys and gals, I have to give it a miss this year; getting married and no spare cash for Tennessee. Maybe the frith.

What if it's a lie, George?