Interesting that VPW couldn't visualize a blueprint. I'm surprised that they didn't get the graphic arts people to build him a foamboard model. Oh well, just lots of well-meaning and talented work down the drain.
To me, the entrance with the overhang and the lobby look just like a high-class mortuary.
To me, the entrance with the overhang and the lobby look just like a high-class mortuary.
I was only in it once. I can barely remember what it looked like. What I can remember is the "valet's" wonder at our car (a new Ford Tempo) as he got in it to park it. I can remember all the brass rails and glass that people were continually cleaning and polishing. That bothered me because I'm sort of along the line of if it's that hard to take care of and keep nice - you don't need it.
We were all encouraged (pressured) to become members of the $1k donor's club. Call me hard-hearted - I had/have a hard time giving that kind of money to anything I'm not going to use with any sort of regularity, or that isn't going to help clothe, feed, or shelter someone. There were too many people who were doing without to put money into this kind of extravagance.
I remember taking up a special offering in our twig. It seems that someone had revelation that ordinary rebar was not adequate for the project. The extra money was needed to buy "special" rebar <_<
Interesting that VPW couldn't visualize a blueprint. I'm surprised that they didn't get the graphic arts people to build him a foamboard model. Oh well, just lots of well-meaning and talented work down the drain.
If wierwille would have requested a foamboard model, one would have been assembled el pronto. Obviously, wierwille wanted to do what wierwille wanted.....ie. walk the building site with geer at his side.
This time frame, 1981/82, was when joe c0ulter chose beta over vhs format.......no? How many of us twi-ers went out and purchased beta machines?
How many of us twi-ers went out and purchased beta machines?
Usually one in the twig/group felt inclined so we could actually see the productions. It was already glaringly apparent that betamax was not going to win the tape wars and I was at a loss as to why TWI chose it. After that, I was (secretly) glad we hadn't spent the money. $800 was a bit much to spend just to watch TWI productions.
And now their SNS videos don't pan the audience anymore because they can't even fill the bottom level.
I never cared for the SNS videos to SEE the same old, same old. Even when I drank the koolaid, it made no sense to part with my hard-earned money on these videos. Plus, after a year.....you have 52 vhs videos to SHELVE or STORE AWAY. After the novelty wore off, most didn't even care to borrow them.
In the 90s, martindale mandated fellowship attendance 3X a week.....for the "faithful."
Who wanted to sit down and watch these videos? Not many.
At least with audio cassette tapes, I could listen to them while traveling to work.
Thanks for the info on the PWA Skyrider, I haven't had the history on it before, other than the official jargon liken the PWA to building the temples in the Old Testament.
As for watching the STS or other recordings - I absolutely could not stand going to those meetings. Especially because we would act like we were there. Standing when the audience stood, etc. It was awful.
As for watching the STS or other recordings - I absolutely could not stand going to those meetings. Especially because we would act like we were there. Standing when the audience stood, etc. It was awful.
and ridiculous. But somehow people got shamed (bullied) into doing the ridiculous.
Oh My ... Brings back memories of my WOW year .. Our group had two WOW families in it.. but we were really close knit,(I know a rarity, and that I had a good year was also a rarity) so we turned into one giant wow family.. anyway the Corps guy who was In Charge of the whole group, got the STS tapes on cassette once a week, and we would listen to them as a "family" I still remember falling asleep almost every single one... I think at least 3/4 of us did. I am not sure if that is a commentary on the teachings or our general exhaustion. This was in 79/80.
At that time in the west, at least where I was, not many peoplee got them, and they were not something you played at TWIG.( Now I am trying to remember if we had to fork over the dough for it too) Who decided you were going to stand up when they did on the tape .. is that not the weirdest thing ever.. although if we had I might have stayed awake for the whole tape. Snicker.
on the other hand standing up and down, wasn't that one of the things VP made a stink about, how stupid of the churches to do it.( I know not the same thing but close enough)
Funny, I had forgotten about pretending you were there when we listened to the tapes or watched the VHS. And then there was that time when we all had to get together as a Branch and wear our "Best Dress" to the meetings. God, how I hated wearing pantyhose in million degree weather!
And then there was the whole thing about the manifestations not being recorded because they were only supposed to be for the people present. I think it was because the messages weren't scripted and therefore not under their control.
Oh... And the sound of STS always put me to sleep.
And the chior's outfits always were soooooooooooooooo bad. Not to mention the stuff they dressed Way Prod in!
As for watching the STS or other recordings - I absolutely could not stand going to those meetings. Especially because we would act like we were there. Standing when the audience stood, etc. It was awful.
I remember my parents came to visit me at HQ. I talked my dad in to going to the STS, but I was freaked out because he REFUSED to dress up. He also REFUSED to stand when everyone else did. I dealt with a lot of emotional stuff that day and hoped nobody would confront me for having a "hard-hearted" visitor.
I can't speak to any of these issues in terms of the building. I left TWI long before it was built, and came back briefly and what I saw in the Auditorium was one of the reasons that it was briefly. Some of you may think it crazy, but I had returned to God in the late 80's and not knowing anywhere else to go, went to HQ. As I pulled into the parking lot by the Auditorium I "saw" a tree dying from it's roots. As I sat in the Auditorium looking around, we had come early, I kept "seeing" patches on the wall fall off revealing worms and rot behind it. All of this before the service even started with just a few "good bless you" and "welcomes along with all of the "what are you thinking?" stares. I had last been at HQ in the mid 70's and Jeans, t-shirts and tennis shoes were the uniform of the day. Why would I think it would change?
As far as VPW walking the area. I can understand that. I have trouble picturing distances. I can tell some things from a blueprint. Some things from a model; but if I want a clear idea of size I have to walk it so I can see it. That wouldn't seem to strange to me.
The purpose of the auditorium was to house the missile (in the silo thingy) . . . that's why there's a compass on the floor of the lobby (wayfers defer to old technology) . . . supposedly, there's little LEDs embeded in that worthless wooden map . . . case people forget where HQ is.
The purpose of the auditorium was to house the missile (in the silo thingy) . . . that's why there's a compass on the floor of the lobby (wayfers defer to old technology) . . . supposedly, there's little LEDs embeded in that worthless wooden map . . . case people forget where HQ is.
And....the tunnel from the orchestra pit leads to the storage bunker beneath the osc warehouse where they stash assault rifles, nightvision gear, surface missles, food supply, etc.
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waysider
Oh, I don't know.
I think it turned out to be everything Wierwille envisioned.
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Jim
Interesting that VPW couldn't visualize a blueprint. I'm surprised that they didn't get the graphic arts people to build him a foamboard model. Oh well, just lots of well-meaning and talented work down the drain.
To me, the entrance with the overhang and the lobby look just like a high-class mortuary.
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JavaJane
I thought that I was the only person who thought that!
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Tzaia
I was only in it once. I can barely remember what it looked like. What I can remember is the "valet's" wonder at our car (a new Ford Tempo) as he got in it to park it. I can remember all the brass rails and glass that people were continually cleaning and polishing. That bothered me because I'm sort of along the line of if it's that hard to take care of and keep nice - you don't need it.
We were all encouraged (pressured) to become members of the $1k donor's club. Call me hard-hearted - I had/have a hard time giving that kind of money to anything I'm not going to use with any sort of regularity, or that isn't going to help clothe, feed, or shelter someone. There were too many people who were doing without to put money into this kind of extravagance.
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Nottawayfer
And now their SNS videos don't pan the audience anymore because they can't even fill the bottom level.
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waysider
I remember taking up a special offering in our twig. It seems that someone had revelation that ordinary rebar was not adequate for the project. The extra money was needed to buy "special" rebar <_<
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frank123lol
As the cost spiraled out of control,so did the requestd for donations.
Special donations book,I think if the twig gave more than a thousand bucks
it was in a book.I know I saw my name as twig leader,I thought what about the person who gave the 750bucks,
his name should be in there too.
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skyrider
If wierwille would have requested a foamboard model, one would have been assembled el pronto. Obviously, wierwille wanted to do what wierwille wanted.....ie. walk the building site with geer at his side.
This time frame, 1981/82, was when joe c0ulter chose beta over vhs format.......no? How many of us twi-ers went out and purchased beta machines?
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dmiller
We got hit up for the donations too. I never gave to "the cause". Matter of fact (now that this subject has me thinking about those days),
I'm remembering a branch meeting (I think) where I "innocently" asked if this would be considered ABS.
You can guess what the immediate response was!
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Tzaia
Usually one in the twig/group felt inclined so we could actually see the productions. It was already glaringly apparent that betamax was not going to win the tape wars and I was at a loss as to why TWI chose it. After that, I was (secretly) glad we hadn't spent the money. $800 was a bit much to spend just to watch TWI productions.
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excathedra
i don't think i ever saw it
but weren't there big pictures of saints when you walked in ?
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skyrider
I never cared for the SNS videos to SEE the same old, same old. Even when I drank the koolaid, it made no sense to part with my hard-earned money on these videos. Plus, after a year.....you have 52 vhs videos to SHELVE or STORE AWAY. After the novelty wore off, most didn't even care to borrow them.
In the 90s, martindale mandated fellowship attendance 3X a week.....for the "faithful."
Who wanted to sit down and watch these videos? Not many.
At least with audio cassette tapes, I could listen to them while traveling to work.
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OldSkool
Thanks for the info on the PWA Skyrider, I haven't had the history on it before, other than the official jargon liken the PWA to building the temples in the Old Testament.
As for watching the STS or other recordings - I absolutely could not stand going to those meetings. Especially because we would act like we were there. Standing when the audience stood, etc. It was awful.
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Tzaia
and ridiculous. But somehow people got shamed (bullied) into doing the ridiculous.
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leafytwiglet
Oh My ... Brings back memories of my WOW year .. Our group had two WOW families in it.. but we were really close knit,(I know a rarity, and that I had a good year was also a rarity) so we turned into one giant wow family.. anyway the Corps guy who was In Charge of the whole group, got the STS tapes on cassette once a week, and we would listen to them as a "family" I still remember falling asleep almost every single one... I think at least 3/4 of us did. I am not sure if that is a commentary on the teachings or our general exhaustion. This was in 79/80.
At that time in the west, at least where I was, not many peoplee got them, and they were not something you played at TWIG.( Now I am trying to remember if we had to fork over the dough for it too) Who decided you were going to stand up when they did on the tape .. is that not the weirdest thing ever.. although if we had I might have stayed awake for the whole tape. Snicker.
on the other hand standing up and down, wasn't that one of the things VP made a stink about, how stupid of the churches to do it.( I know not the same thing but close enough)
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JavaJane
Funny, I had forgotten about pretending you were there when we listened to the tapes or watched the VHS. And then there was that time when we all had to get together as a Branch and wear our "Best Dress" to the meetings. God, how I hated wearing pantyhose in million degree weather!
And then there was the whole thing about the manifestations not being recorded because they were only supposed to be for the people present. I think it was because the messages weren't scripted and therefore not under their control.
Oh... And the sound of STS always put me to sleep.
And the chior's outfits always were soooooooooooooooo bad. Not to mention the stuff they dressed Way Prod in!
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Nottawayfer
I remember my parents came to visit me at HQ. I talked my dad in to going to the STS, but I was freaked out because he REFUSED to dress up. He also REFUSED to stand when everyone else did. I dealt with a lot of emotional stuff that day and hoped nobody would confront me for having a "hard-hearted" visitor.
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Keith
I can't speak to any of these issues in terms of the building. I left TWI long before it was built, and came back briefly and what I saw in the Auditorium was one of the reasons that it was briefly. Some of you may think it crazy, but I had returned to God in the late 80's and not knowing anywhere else to go, went to HQ. As I pulled into the parking lot by the Auditorium I "saw" a tree dying from it's roots. As I sat in the Auditorium looking around, we had come early, I kept "seeing" patches on the wall fall off revealing worms and rot behind it. All of this before the service even started with just a few "good bless you" and "welcomes along with all of the "what are you thinking?" stares. I had last been at HQ in the mid 70's and Jeans, t-shirts and tennis shoes were the uniform of the day. Why would I think it would change?
As far as VPW walking the area. I can understand that. I have trouble picturing distances. I can tell some things from a blueprint. Some things from a model; but if I want a clear idea of size I have to walk it so I can see it. That wouldn't seem to strange to me.
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Bolshevik
The purpose of the auditorium was to house the missile (in the silo thingy) . . . that's why there's a compass on the floor of the lobby (wayfers defer to old technology) . . . supposedly, there's little LEDs embeded in that worthless wooden map . . . case people forget where HQ is.
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OldSkool
Im trying to...lol
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skyrider
And....the tunnel from the orchestra pit leads to the storage bunker beneath the osc warehouse where they stash assault rifles, nightvision gear, surface missles, food supply, etc.
O -- Oligarchic
S -- Spiritual
C -- Command
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waysider
Ok---I'm trying to understand. Was it supposed to be a missile launch facility or a potential missile target?
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Ham
He can tell you, but then he will have to shoot you or something..
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waysider
Yeah, it's like the plan the Ruskies had in the 1970s to take out HQ because it was the spiritual hub of the known universe or something. :wacko:
Hey, kids!
Let's build a survival bunker at limb hq. We'll tell all the skeptics it's just a root cellar. Yeah, that's the ticket.
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