Posts by AnnOMaly

39

Any Amateur Astronomers Out There?

by cofty in

i have recently revived my interest in the night sky.

there are a lot of great sights you can identify with just a pair of binoculars.

i am currently relearning how to navigate my way round all the constellations and find some of the best objects.. i live out in the country so we get almost total darkness right outside my front door.

AnnOMaly

Who said that??? Please tell me it's the WTS!

Not quite. Furuli. 'Chronology' Vol. II (2008 edition), p. 318. Two paragraphs earlier:

"It is very difficult to think that 04/05 April [588 BCE] was the first day of the intercalary month, because the new moon had already been visible for 24 hours or more when this day began."

... and many more gems. Anyway, enough of my thread hijacking.

-----

One of the most thrilling things for me not too long ago was to see the Milky Way - rural area, moonless and incredibly dark, clear sky. I had not seen it in many, many years due to where I live - the street lights wash it out. I was transfixed.

39

Any Amateur Astronomers Out There?

by cofty in

i have recently revived my interest in the night sky.

there are a lot of great sights you can identify with just a pair of binoculars.

i am currently relearning how to navigate my way round all the constellations and find some of the best objects.. i live out in the country so we get almost total darkness right outside my front door.

AnnOMaly

I'm always amazed how few people have a clue about the moon.

Me too - especially people who write books about ancient astronomical texts and say things like the new crescent moon "was visible the whole day of [such-a-date] when it was not below the horizon." I still crease up at that.

39

Any Amateur Astronomers Out There?

by cofty in

i have recently revived my interest in the night sky.

there are a lot of great sights you can identify with just a pair of binoculars.

i am currently relearning how to navigate my way round all the constellations and find some of the best objects.. i live out in the country so we get almost total darkness right outside my front door.

AnnOMaly

Loved the night sky since being a kid. I don't own a telescope (yet - maybe one day) but have had the use of a small, basic Skywatcher reflector from time-to-time and I do own a pair of 10x50s which just about resolve Jupiter's moons. I like Jupiter (and Venus). The amateur astronomical society that I'm a member of organized a sky-watching event recently and we had lots of new interest. Lots to see that night too. Some had brought their monster Dobsonians - Jupiter + moons and some new (to me) Messier objects just looked gorgeous through them.

I like finding the Beehive Cluster, Andromeda Galaxy, Double Cluster in Perseus, Brocchi's Cluster (the Coathanger) in Vulpecula (within the Summer Triangle) and Kemble's Cascade (a challenge, especially in a light-polluted town - envy you, Cofty). My fave constellation is Orion - it always cheers me up to see it - as do the Hyades and Pleiades clusters. Iridium flares and the ISS fly-bys are also neat to catch.

The Sun's activity is at its 11 year maximum and has had some wonderful sunspots of late. You don't need high-tech filters to pick them out (but they will look fantastic with a H-alpha filter). Get out your binocs or scope and project the Sun's image* on a wall or piece of white paper to show them up. Lovely.

Seeing the aurora - another for my bucket list.

.

* Safety reminder. Looking at the Sun through your binoculars or telescope would be a totally insane thing to do - but you all know that already.

23

Some vs Many

by Londo111 in

it is interesting how the watchtower uses these two words.

for instance, the word some is often used to minimize, and many used to maximize.

and yet, it is so unspecific that some might be a greater quantity than many, yet the mind doesnt process these words this way.. for instance, if it is a failed prediction or a changed teaching, they might say, some believed... when it fact some means most or all, because this was food at the proper time coming from gods channel through the watchtower.

AnnOMaly

Good observations, Londo :-) One of my bugbears too - "some thought/felt/believed/expected [insert discarded teaching here]" is a sneaky way to minimize or divert attention away from the fact that it was the Org leadership who officially taught those now-discarded thoughts/feelings/beliefs/expectations.

smiddy - I guess you're trying to say that politicians are obtuse? ;-)

52

trying to convince my wife not to confess...

by wafflesandpancakes in

during our engagement, we fooled around and touch each other down there.

it's not a "tap" but definitely is not "stimulation".

i tried to convince my wife, who, after 5 years of marriage, strangely felt guilty all the sudden, that its not do called porneia.

AnnOMaly

Your wife, if she 'confesses' to the elders, will be putting you both under a whole heap of UNNECESSARY scrutiny. You're married now. It was a long time ago. What went on before is irrelevant to your lives with each other NOW and will achieve nothing but embarrassment (as others have said), putting a strain on your marriage. One of my relatives and his wife confessed to their elders about their pre-marital fooling around and they found the experience very traumatic and had to cope with the shame of being reproved - don't do it! They're divorced now but that's a whole other story.

It's none of anybody's business but your own. As others have said, if your wife feels guilty, she should confess to God, say sorry and ask Him for His forgiveness. Matter closed. Move on.

20

Wow... you WERE right! The KH was to teach you how to SELL!!

by ILoveTTATT in

.

as you can see from the picture, in the kingdom hall there was a board with "publishers, books, booklets," etc... aparently for the entire congregation.

not sure what the other line is, maybe it is a goal?.

AnnOMaly

I would be interested to know what year this picture is.

So would I. Also the publication it's found in. Also the occasion - a Sunday?

The banner must be a Scripture text - I'm thinking 'Salvation unto our God' (Rev. 7:10 - ASV, so pre-NWT). I'd say late 1940s?

Am I warm?

25

1914 countdown card in 2014 Yearbook

by jwfacts in

the 2014 yearbook has a scan of the 1914 countdown card.

it does not say whether this was published by the watchtower or independently, so please let me know if you have any further information about it.

in typical offensive fashion, the yearbook blames the members rather than themselves for the false expectations held for 1914.. some bible students even carried a countdown card so that they could mark off each passing day.

AnnOMaly

I've asked on ChannelC forum - someone on there might know.

25

1914 countdown card in 2014 Yearbook

by jwfacts in

the 2014 yearbook has a scan of the 1914 countdown card.

it does not say whether this was published by the watchtower or independently, so please let me know if you have any further information about it.

in typical offensive fashion, the yearbook blames the members rather than themselves for the false expectations held for 1914.. some bible students even carried a countdown card so that they could mark off each passing day.

AnnOMaly

Hm. I've never seen this before either. Could Barbara Anderson help?

Blaming the members again, yes.

One example of how a lot of heads were messed with at the time as 1914 approached:

'We're not positive, but it is proven, but it's up to you whether you accept or reject the facts, and anyway events seem to be fulfilling our expectations.' What's a loyal Bible Student supposed to think?

16

2014 DC OFFICIAL THEME

by WatchTower87 in

jw
friends

the official theme is :.

.

"keep on, seeking first the kingdom" matthew 6:33.

AnnOMaly

The Official Theme is :

"Keep on, seeking first the Kingdom"

They seek it here, they seek it there,

Those Dubbies seek it everywhere,

And no sign of, a century on,

That damned, elusive Armageddon!

.

(Hi Punk :-) )

9

70 weeks prophercy

by KSFernando in

jw
friends

according to the daniel's 70 weeks propercy, it ibegins from the going forth of the word to restore and to rebuild jerusalem.

as per the bible writer nehemiah, the word went forth to rebuild the walls around jerusalem iin the month of nisan,* in the 20th year of artaxerxes the king.nehemiah 2:1.. therefore the propercy begins in the month of nisan (march/april).

propercy begin .

AnnOMaly

"The decree [of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah] was given in 444 B.C. based on the following: 1) 'In the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' (Neh. 2:1); 2) Artaxerxes ' accession was in 465 B.C.

Josh McDowell is a year out (I was surprised - I have that book and never noticed LOL). Artaxerxes I's accession was 465 BCE, Year 1 was 464 BCE and Year 20 was 445 BCE. It's astronomically fixed.