cognizant dissident

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Posts by cognizant dissident

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  41

  Why so defensive? (CHRISTIANS ONLY)

  by besty in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the wife and kids and i were round for dinner last night at some good friends of ours - very informal and relaxed.

  we have been there many times and its home from home.. they have 2 boys same as us, and they also had another friend (jane) over with her 3 boys - as both dad;s from each parent couple were out of town it was me and sam and the 2 mums + 7 boys under 7 to take care of.

  cue another glass of wine please.. eating outside in the front yard, kids playing on the walk street, sunset in the background - you get the idea.. so it turns out jane (who is a very confident, outgoing, successful businesswoman, and attorney) is from texas, and very proud of that - rightly so - but lives in la.

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  cognizant dissident
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  11

  Question on Case of a Form of Abuse

  by ruruj in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  i am not sure if this is some kind of abuse, child abuse maybe?.

  there is a case where a daughter is being "tormented" (as she describes) by her mother because she is slacking in her spiritual activities.

  it has been increasing and she is deeply disturbed by it.

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  cognizant dissident

  A twenty year old is not a child. She is an adult and if she is being emotionally abused, then she is free to leave whenever she wishes. No one can do it for her, but you could always encourage her in that direction.
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  69

  People Who Refuse to Tip at Restaurants are Embarrassing!

  by White Dove in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  egg and i were treated out to dinner three times last weekend by out of state visiting relatives.

  just found out last night that they don't believe in tipping, at all!

  we suggested the places to eat and frequent those places ourselves.

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  cognizant dissident

  I agree Quillsky, when in Rome... I just assumed the US was the same as Canada, but when Minimus and WAC said they left 25-30% I googled tipping guides for Vegas since that's the most expensive place I've ever been.

  They did say 15-20% also, for cabbies and bartenders too. 20% for service people, haridressers, masseuse, etc. Dollar a bag for bellhops, $3-5 for a valet. That is more in line with Canada then what some of the posters were saying.

  I notice many men over tip just to show off especially to pretty waitresses. My ex used to do that too. Annoyed me no end. Like we have money to throw away so you can impress a hot 20-yr old you'll never see again!

  Don't know if I should start a new thread or not, but what's the most expensive restaurant meal you ever had and how much did it cost? Was it worth it?

  Mine was also in Vegas. At the MGM Grande. They advertised restaurant as San Fran style Bistro. Well, I've eaten seafood at bistros in San Francisco and it was nothing like that! However, we thought, what the hell, it's Vegas, live a little. So we stayed and $300 later (for 3 people) + another $100 for the wine pairings....those truffles flown in from France that morning were sure scrummy! Left a $100 dollar tip, 25% but it was the best service I ever had in my life too. So $500. altogether.

  Then we went back to our room and our teenage son promptly puked up his entire dinner. My husband and I burst out laughing because he was puking up all that money we spent, and then asked if he could order cheese and crackers from room service to "settle his stomach". That's what we get for taking a teenager fine dining.

  I think it was worth it, though, it was once in a life time food, and a once in a lifetime experience. Well unless I win the lottery or something.
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  69

  People Who Refuse to Tip at Restaurants are Embarrassing!

  by White Dove in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  egg and i were treated out to dinner three times last weekend by out of state visiting relatives.

  just found out last night that they don't believe in tipping, at all!

  we suggested the places to eat and frequent those places ourselves.

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  cognizant dissident

  I was shocked to know that in the US employers could literally pay only a couple of dollars and let the balance of the minimum wage be made up of tips. I thought you all were speaking metaphorically so I googled it and it's true!

  That is totally illegal in Canada. Minimum wage is just that and tipping is optional.

  One poster from Canada said that waitresses are required to pay out the kitchen a percentage out of their own pocket if they aren't tipped. The restaurant owner may require that but it is totally illegal and the server would have a Labour Relations Board case against the employer. (Splitting tips with kitchen is fine). It is also illegal to require wait staff to pay out of their own pockets for broken dishes, spoiled food or customers who stiff the bill. Many waiters and waitresses are young and do not know their legal rights. Almost every case of abuse by restaurant owners that is taken to the tribunal is settled in favor of the workers.

  Our minimum wage in BC is $8.30. Many mid level restaurants pay $10-12 and fine dining establishments could pay much higher, up to $20 especially for head waiters, wine stewards, etc. Those people make much more money than I do as a skilled office worker when you add in the tips.

  In Canada, tipping is customarily 10-20%. Some people just pay 15% everywhere. I don't because there is a higher degree of service inherent in some types of establishments. My personal tipping policy is this. 10% at coffee shops, cheap cafes/counters etc. 15% at mid-range sit down family restaurants, 20% for fine dining. A dollar per person seated for the busser clearing plates at buffets. I don't usually need to alter this for good or bad service because my expectations of the level of service are commensurate with the type of establishment. I don't expect fine dining treatment at the local coffee shop. (You'd be surprised how many annoying, demanding people I've dined with that do and try to find any little excuse not to tip, just because they are bloody cheap!) I expect average service at the average restaurant and very good service at fine restauraunts.

  I don't often drop the amount of the tip. If the service was that bad to warrant that, then why tip at all? Complain and leave no tip. Even better, don't go back. I have been to restaurants a number of times with family and they have left no tip when there was nothing wrong with the service. They are just cheap and it is embarrassing because I live in a small town and I often go back to these places many times.

  I've been noticing tip jars springing up at random retail establishments all over the place lately. I just ignore them.

  Question: How many of you tip your hairdresser? Newspaper person? Bellhops? Cab drivers? How much?
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  20

  Is evolution really scientific

  by ssn587 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the weekly sales meeting this week, discusses whether or not evolution is really scientific.

  they go to the non reasoning book at page 121 para 4 to page 126 para 2. has anyone critiqued this yet.

  any help would be very much appreciated.

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  cognizant dissident

  Very interesting point Randy. I never thought of it that way (God evolving) , although I have noticed religion evolving. When I told my JW parents that the Christian religion had evolved out of Judaism, you should have seen how they visibly stiffened at my use of the word "evolve". Such a dirty word. Wash my mouth out with soap!
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  33

  How to be alone

  by mrsjones5 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  one of my groups on facebook posted this video and i'm posting it here cuz i thought it was sweet and poignant:.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7x7szzsxys.

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  cognizant dissident

  oops, just noticed it was on bravo! See, i'm not the only one who thought so!
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  33

  How to be alone

  by mrsjones5 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  one of my groups on facebook posted this video and i'm posting it here cuz i thought it was sweet and poignant:.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7x7szzsxys.

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  cognizant dissident

  Loved it! I'm putting it in my favorites and I hope it stays on You Tube forever so I can send it to lonely hearts! That woman should be on TV!
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  21

  My 'cross to bear' so to speak

  by Aussie Oz in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  nothing in life is free... not even freedom.

  it's the weekend for my kids to come down and it seems dear old dad just aint that important anymore.... son who now has his licence has left school to work (i found out on facebook) and seems to be too busy, daughter has a party (with j dubs) she wants to go to saturday night.

  of course the mother is delighted by this...as they are a two hour drive away it just stuffs up the whole weekend really.

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  cognizant dissident

  I forgot to add: Don't worry, you're still very important to them. I can guarantee they will still come running back to daddy whenever they want something until they're at least 30! ;-)
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  27

  So help me out here.....

  by Quillsky in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  if i were to accept jesus as my personal savior, what would i have to do?.

  this is a serious question.

  would i have to think or read something first?

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  cognizant dissident

  The decision about WHAT the punishment would be was entirely up to him. He could have made the punishment anything. A slap on the wrist, eating liver and onions, eternal death, Hellfire, watching re-runs of the Golden Girls, attending a Kingdom Hall for twenty years, listening to Barry Manilow, etc.

  Too funny!I'm really starting to enjoy your posts!

  It's interesting that the punishment of eternal annihilation is also what is going to happen to everyone naturally. If JW's wanted to be more motivating they should have picked a punishment for not believing that was worse than than the punishment for believing. (attending the Kingdom Hall for 20+ years and living with other JW's for eternity!)
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  21

  My 'cross to bear' so to speak

  by Aussie Oz in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  nothing in life is free... not even freedom.

  it's the weekend for my kids to come down and it seems dear old dad just aint that important anymore.... son who now has his licence has left school to work (i found out on facebook) and seems to be too busy, daughter has a party (with j dubs) she wants to go to saturday night.

  of course the mother is delighted by this...as they are a two hour drive away it just stuffs up the whole weekend really.

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  cognizant dissident

  It's actually not anyone's fault. It is the natural order of things. Teens are breaking away from their parents and prefer to spend their recreational time with their friends. If you were still married and a JW, your kids would still be gone for the weekend with their friends and you wouldn't be seeing much of them.

  That's life. All parents have to go through it. I did and still am. It's not easy, but don't guilt them and for God's sake, don't lay down any "law" that they have to spend their free weekend time with you. That's just asking for misery all around.