krys

The people who follow along and join up all come with similar baggage. They have first-hand knowledge of evil - well, most of them anyway. Don't you think they come with some type of filter already in place and some little bell that rings at the very slightest sign of imperfection. And maybe what they see isn't really imperfection at all. You know how many different versions you'll get from 5 witnesses at the same auto accident. They all don't see things the same way...and they were not expecting an accident so as to turn on their "examining eyes". I have no persoal knowledge of splinter groups either, but it seems like faults may not all lie with the leaders. I think it's only human nature for the followers to read into things something that may not be there if they're coming out of twi.

Probably so! But who can blame them after the blizzards we've dumped on them by controlling the very same weather inputs but at another time of year. (sigh)

I wish you the very best from my heart to yours! Hope it's a wonderful day.

I'm impressed, enthralled and delighted! I've put my ideas out here before about environmental issues, but this really impresses me because it's showing a genuine global interest in monitoring our atmosphere - and whatever else they may be watching. After reading some of the literature RumRunner linked to, I'm pleased that there will be another good set of eyes watching out for weather phenomena and especially severe storms. Not only does it increase everybody's knowledge and understanding, but it" also just that many more eyes looking when a problem storm develops. Problem storms aren't just hurricanes and typhoons blizzards and tornadoes! Remember the book and later film "The Perfect Storm"? I hear you saying, yeah but it wasn't hundreds or thousands of people who died....yadda. You'll remember that there was some idea of some impending danger...but nobody had any idea how bad it could have really become. Fishermen were used to taking some weather warnings with a grain of salt because of the scarcity of hard and fast data. There weren't any "magic eyes in the sky" to make such a forecast then. Now we've gotten a leg up on that. Think about it. Fishing is a major industry for much of the world. Some of it is quite dangerous. Many species fished for food are found in cold weather-dangerous waters. How much less insurance would these fleets need to carry if they had a better handle on dangerous weather? How many fewer ships would be lost? How much more fish ( in terms of productivity) could be safely fished. Do you see that the more we know the better the job the less it costs in terms of money and lives? In my mind this really is a big deal. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

You guys know I taught HS and I taught in several schools. Now I know - I just figured it out - why I consider my greatest successes to have been at an all girl's Catholic school! The Honors Classes soaked up everything I laid out (almost) as fast as I laid it out there.

Yes, excathy, that is right. The truth of the word never goes out "void" is how they put it. Some folks like you, just wanted to love God and His people - and some others wanted to know more so they could manipulate more. I believe that some folks filtered what they heard through their pre-determined adjendas [if they had one]

If I recall correctly, men are more likely to be left brain oriented, while women tend toward the opposite. I do know that there are more neurons between the hemispheres in women than in men...and if you want to second guess me - - ask yourself a question. When you were a kid...if both parents were busy, which parent could more easily adapt to your interruption...mom or dad?

Thanks DM - - it does have a certain *lilt* to it, doesn't it?!

Thanks TOW. I really enjoyed that trip down memory lane. MASH 4077 is/was one of my all time favorites. Oilfield can't decide to stay. He's got official business Stateside....called Mrs. Oilfield.

Yes, Eagle, thanks. I agree with you and like an eagle on all counts. Thanks for speaking up also. When we tell our stories, we all have individuals in mind as a rule - but when others read them, it looks like a condemnation of all when that isn't the case. I, myself, needed that reminder.

Corp Klinger wore the dresses.

Love isn't love until you give it away.

Thanks socks. I learned a lot of things when I was a teacher over those so many years. One of the most important is that people become who you tell them they are. They get the message even if you don't use words! How you treat them, how you talk to them what you will and will not accept from them. The only caveat is, you must completely honest and completely consistent in all your dealings with them. If your're not, they'll see it quickly enough and turn you off. You lose everything then...hope for the best and do better next year.

I have to add something as I think about it more. A single individual, or a small group of private individuals could do this with great success. I have no doubt that the poor have honest intentions and would work hard to fulfill their commitment. Those few who defaulted would be more than balanced out by those who didn't. However, and this is the big part; I doubt that major banking institutions would follow suit. They have a responsibility to their stock holders and other members such that if it didn't work, the losses would be greater both in quantity and in number of people affected. I also had a "flash back"! Isn't this the way we used to do business here back in the "old days"? A man (or woman) was as good as his word?

Muhammad Yunus could start out by trusting because he had nothing to hide. His motives were pure from the beginning. The organization had no such claim to fame. They started out OR quickly evolved deceitful practices...and we all know...once you tell a lie you have to keep embellishing it, and polishing it and retelling it because sooner or later reasonable people will figure it out! They didn't trust us, and they couldn't trust us because they were afraid we would eventually figure out the truth.....I guess they were right! I guess it all comes down to integrity. Yunus had it, they didn't.

After a while, even just casual conversation was a big deal. Imagine sitting at a BBQ and asking "Is there mustard available?" - instead of do you have any mustard? And the last time I prepped refreshments for a class, one of the Corps women came in to the kitchen and told me we had a problem - she forgot the napkins and cups I'd asked her to bring. She used the word "problem" - - If I had said that- it would have been over. . Sometimes riding in a car with a higher-up was very unnerving. They really didn't believe other drivers had road rights...and acted accordingly! Ho-Ho-Relo was no longer a time for the in residence Corps to visit with families, but was putting them back in their local areas drumming up more corps entrants. My own son thought it was more important for him to have Christmas dinner with somebody he was working with toward this end rather than his own family who had driven, some of them 75 miles to see him! We never even spent so much as one evening together and they were exhausted when they flew back. And then there's this - - my private pet peeve: When one of your leadership wanted to ask you a favor they wouldn't come right out with it....they said "Would you like to bless me?. Now what do you say. So after you swallow your tongue, and say (the obligatory) yes, it is only then you find out you have been given the honor of painting their shingles....and p.s. you're buying the paint!

Damn them!

I hope it's the best ever. Happy Birthday!

Rummie - SV wrote a beautiful song there. It's got the right rhythm and everything...there are no drugs there! Not unless YOU'RE not thinking straight - - which, I know, is an impossibility! (or is it) Sigh......how I would love to be there! Too far from jersey, though.

Welcome Trust and Obey! Have you had your coffee yet? Pie, brownies or croissants? What can we get you. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Your post on this thread should be required reading of everyone here who's forgotten what it was like! Thanks for your straight talking and honest remarks. Thanks for calling a spade by it's proper name...and for your refreshing style. I hope you'll be with us a long time - and I also hope you enjoy your stay here.

This is such a wonderful thread and written by so many of GSC's most wonderful and efficatious posters. :P

That's what I call pressed down, shaken together and running over! Congratulations.

I though I saw someone was already building a floating city for retirees as a permanent residence. It was supposed to have 2 heliports, medical facilities and everything else a small city would need. The idea was you could retire on it permanently and then take side trips near wherever it was, as the ship was supposed to stay cruising around the world. You could even get off in one place and "home" to visit for the holidays if you wanted to! Sounds like a great idea to me. The apartments were sold, not rented, and everything was first class so the price was in the millions per apartment. Even so, what a great idea!

Way to go!

Many of us didn't either Warren. We were so used to doing what we were told and we had already been worn down so that few if any of us were thinking straight when we left. I hope we can welcome you aboard with a different persspective now. Come grow with us...play with us. Hang around and get to know some of the personalities here. You'll find compassion and learning and eventually much better understanding. Live the rest of your life a whole lot better then.