LOL Billy the Ex-Bethelite, that IS indeed funny. But then they have the "Jesus"-thing: soooo successful that he found a sudden end.
NewYork44M: There was once a uber-zealous Circuit Overseer (Germany) that told me I will not need to repair my pioneer-shit-of-a-car™, because the end was so near or that I shouldn't be painting my living room, the paint wouldn't dry before the end would come (he loved to do that - use extreme metaphors - but being GERMAN+WITNESS, well...)
Anyway, not to bore you, long story short: the end never came! Surprise!!!! I was 22 then, now I am 41.
As for Special announcements©™ > the general rule, according to my 30+ years as a Witness is as follows:
Excitement x Secrecy x Time-before-announcement + Sisters Gossip = the shittier and meaningless THE "announcement" is.
The real good ones never make it to the rank and file and sometimes end up here.