Hello Terry-------this has been a very interesting thread and I've enjoyed and learned a lot getting your broad perspective on the art world. I would like to know what you think of someone........oh, let's say Hunter Biden, for example......suddenly presenting himself as an artist and selling his paintings for thousands (if not HUNDREDS of thousands) of dollars. Is this on the up & up, or is it a little scammy? What do you think?
david_10
JoinedPosts by david_10
-
8
Margaret Keane' the one time 'big eyes' wt illustrator, RIP.
by waton ina creative person that got a lift from her touch and riding the wave of wt "first love" involvement, when living in hawaii.
.
anyone knows what happened in her later life?
-
-
david_10
-
114
What is truth?
by Heisenberg inwell, i have been lurking on this site for several months and i recently decided to join as a member.
i have made several observations and would like to make a few comments.. first, i am perplexed by the attitude of many on this site that are either former or active (but apostate) jws.
they seem to have a strong hatred for the wts and also for rank and file jws.
-
-
david_10
What is truth?
That's a tough question. I've grappled with it for decades.
What is truth? What is truth?
I have finally figured out the answer, though. I've read all the replies and comments (and all of them excellent, by the way), but it looks like I'm the only one who has figured out the answer to the eternal question, WHAT IS TRUTH?
Are you ready?
Truth is anything you want to believe. If you believe it, it's the truth.
David
-
51
“We are not done yet!” – Candace Conti reacts to appeal court decision
by Watchtower-Free inhttp://jwsurvey.org/cedars-blog/we-are-not-done-yet-candace-reacts-to-appeal-court-decision.
candace conti (pictured in her interview with abc) has spoken out for the first time about the appeal court decision.
as current and former jehovahs witnesses digest the news that watchtowers appeal against the candace conti verdict has faltered, albeit with the punitive element of the judgment reversed, candace has reacted for the first time by telling me: we are not done yet.. news spread on monday that the state appeals court in san francisco had upheld the $2.8 million compensatory damages in the original june 2012 verdict, but overturned the $8.6 million punitive award against watchtower.. the court decided that, though watchtower had neglected its responsibility to supervise known pedophile jonathan kendrick in field ministry, a church-sponsored activity, the organization had no duty to warn parents in the congregation that a pedophile was in their midst or report him to authorities.. an insightful report by investigative reporter trey bundy has suggested that the court reached its decision because the precedent set by the conti verdict might be too burdensome to enforce.. the burden would be considerable because the precedent could require a church to intervene whenever it has reason to believe that a congregation member is capable of doing harm, and the scope of that duty could not be limited with any precision, the judges wrote.. candaces attorney rick simons responded by pointedly telling bundy: they think in public policy terms that theres too much risk in broadening the churchs responsibility and liability so that it burdens what churches do.
-
-
david_10
Even though I've kept up with Candace's case for the last couple of years, I guess I've fallen out of the loop on it lately. So after reading the ABC/Bundy article and the posts on this thread, it appears that it's pretty much over. This is what I can't figure out:
At the end of the day, when it's all said & done, when the final score is tallied up............Who won?
David
-
24
Why do people support abusers in the NFL?
by Simon ini really don't get it.. in most sports in most countries your career is rightly over if you commit certain crimes.. but not in the good old nfl !.
it seems players can rape, beat women, abuse children, fight dogs ... and they will not only be allowed to play but they will have an army of fans wearing their names on their shirts and cheering them on.. the abuse and arrogant attitudes seem to exist at all levels - it seems like there is an endless feed of news stories where some high-school or college football players have abused or raped girls and they end up being allowed back to play and people rallying round as though *they* are the victims.. surely, whatever someone's skills as an athlete are, there are some things that simply can't be excused?.
or is winning truly 'everything' and it doesn't matter the cost?.
-
-
david_10
Simon, I can't figure it out, either, but it's always been that way.
Art Donovan, the Hall of Fame defensive lineman for the Colts back in their glory years, made a very prudent observation: "Some real bad people play real good football." It was true back then....it's just as true today.
David -
51
Was There ANYTHING The Watchtower Taught You That Benefited You?
by minimus inbesides learning how to speak publicly, has the watchtower given you any benefits?
?.
-
-
david_10
I began pioneering after high school. Being a regular pioneer, I learned how to manage money. I had to make a few dollars stretch all week, and I learned how to do it.
Also, being a regular pioneer, I learned how to be self-sufficient. I couldn't afford to hire a mechanic to fix my car, for example, so I had to figure out how to do it myself. Being a regular pioneer made delve into things and figure out how they work. I acquired these skills and habits in my youth, and they have served me well my whole life.This certainly isn't enough to cancel out all the negative effects of Watchtower addiction, but at least it's something.
David
-
30
Dylan Farrow on her abuse
by sammielee24 ini recall when woody allen split and married his adopted daughter and this originally came out - dylan farrow put this out for everyone to see after allen won his latest award - some people have never believed her story - swife.
february 1, 2014, 3:04 pm.
an open letter from dylan farrowby dylan farrow frances silver dylan farrow.
-
-
david_10
Metatron said: "My reaction? Enough!
Your life should not be defined by a single act of abuse nor by victimhood. At some point, this becomes a kind of OCD.
So, Woody is a perv who is successful in the movies. We get it. Life is short and identifying yourself obsessively in the public eye as a sad faced victim is not a worthy life-purpose especially in a quixotic quest that can't be legally proven.
Get on with life. It isn't fair but it's all we have."
Couldn't we say the same thing to...........oh, let's say............Candace Conti, for example? "Get on with your life..forget it." What about the countless other vicims of abuse in Watchtower Land? "Move on. It's done, don't be so OCD over something that you can't do anything about." Sure, they got a confession from Candace's predator, but most predators deny deny deny. The two witness rule, you know. If they deny it, there's nothing you can do about it. So don't be a "sad-faced victim.............."
Sorry, Metatron---usually I agree with you, but this time.........No. I've got to wonder where your head is.
New Hope and Happiness said: "Now to me i think its wrong to ....i mean this is a reprehensible and discusting accusation, but this is wrong to say guilty..there has been no trial, no arrest and its not a question of " innocent" or " guilty" its none of our business. We dont have the right to judge."
Then why are we so willing to judge every elder, every servant.........even governing body members...............whenever a whisper of child abuse arises. Why? Yet you think that this man should be given every benefit of the doubt. Why? Shouldn't the same presumption of innocence be given to all the JW abusers? Where is your.....and everyone else's...... charity when it comes to them? Seems very hypocritical to me.
David -
55
Do You Own A Firearm? Would You??
by minimus in2013 was a record breaking year for firearm purchases.
2014 is supposed to be a record breaker for ammunition.. do you own a firearm?
but i support that right for others---if they are qualified..
-
-
david_10
I have no use for guns, I don't own a gun, and I don't want one. I'm 61 years old and I've gotten by just fine, believe it or not. In fact, I would say that it's much better if I DON'T own a gun. Being a rather high-strung individual, somewhat on the temperamental side, there have been a number of times in my life that, had I owned a gun, I would definitely have used it. Let me make it very clear what I mean: There have been times that I have been so angry and enraged that I would've gone to get my gun. I would, if necessary, have driven across town, very carefully, making sure that I didn't break any laws and risk getting pulled over. I would've gotten my gun out of the closet, top shelf. I would've carefully cleaned it and inspected it and loaded it. I would've driven back across town, very carefully, making sure I didn't break any laws and risk getting pulled over, and I would've confronted my antagonist.
And I would've shot the son of a bitch.
It's just much better if I don't own a gun.
It is true that if I wanted someone dead bad enough, I could use a lead pipe or something. But that's real hard to do. To do that, you've got to really work at it; you've got to get all out of breath; you've got to get blood all over you; you've got to feel the crunch and squish of bone and flesh; you got to be up close and personal and see the life ebbing out of someone. It's real nasty. A gun makes it so much easier.
It just much better if I don't own a gun. Even for self-defense, it's better if I use other options.
It occurs to me that most people probably shouldn't own a gun. It has been my observation that most people are too temperamental or too careless or too accident prone or too mentally unbalanced or too anti-social or too _______________________(fill in the blank) to take on the huge responsibility of gun ownership. Most people probably shouldn't have guns laying around.
Nathan Natas made an interesting post that I largely agree with, in that the police exist mainly to invesitigate crime, not prevent it. Even though their motto is "Protect and Serve", it doesn't usually work out that way. However, when he referred to those of us who chose to exercise our constitutional right NOT to own a gun as "victims and slaves", I would disagree. In fact, it seems to me that those who live continually in fear and have to have their gun close at all times are the real victims and slaves.
Does that answer your question, Minimus? -
40
I'm Perfect, You're Doomed - a review
by Farkel in"i'm perfect, you're doomed" by kyria abrahams, 2009, touchstone.. if you want a way to get people out of that horrible cult, easily, quickly and expeditiously, then here is how to do that.. i can say with a vote of confidence that anyone who reads this book will never and i mean never become a dub.
dubs who read it (assuming they have at least one or two brain cells left) will run from their religion like flies on shit when you pour bleach on it and blow it up with dynamite.. toss away crisis of conscience, apocalypse delayed, 30 years a watchtower slave and all those other very nice books and read this one.
i read those and all the other ones.
-
-
david_10
I read the book and I thought it was great! My favorite part is when Kyria relates the KH meeting when blood doctrine was being taught and how you always have to be on guard---------------------for instance, among ancient pagans, blood pudding was considered a tasty delicacy. So at school the next day, Kyria went up to the cafeteria lady and asked if there was blood in the dessert pudding. The lady just shook her head and said: "Why would you even ask a question like that?"
But if you've ever been a Witness, that question makes perfect sense.
Anyway......I thought it was a great book.
David -
22
What happened in 97-98 to reduce the increase?
by Splash inlooking at the yearly stats, it's apparent that something happened in 1997/98 which caused the increase %ge to drop off a cliff and remain low.. take a look:.
yearpeak pubsincreaseincrease %1981-822,477,608115,7124.8991982-832,652,323174,7157.0521983-842,842,531190,2087.1711984-853,024,131181,6006.3891985-863,229,022204,8916.7751986-873,395,612166,5905.1591987-883,592,654197,0425.8031988-893,787,188194,5345.4151989-904,017,213230,0256.0741990-914,278,820261,6076.5121991-924,472,787193,9674.5331992-934,709,889237,1025.3011993-944,914,094204,2054.3361994-955,199,895285,8015.8161995-965,413,769213,8744.1131996-975,599,931186,1623.4391997-985,888,650288,7195.1561998-995,912,49223,8420.4051999-006,035,564123,0722.0822000-016,117,66682,1021.3602001-026,304,645186,9793.0562002-036,429,351124,7061.9782003-046,513,13283,7811.3032004-056,613,829100,6971.5462005-066,741,444127,6151.9302006-076,957,854216,4103.2102007-087,124,443166,5892.3942008-097,313,173188,7302.6492009-107,508,050194,8772.6652010-117,659,019150,9692.0112011-127,782,346123,3271.610anyone know why this was?.
splash.
-
-
david_10
I don't think that the Watchtower Society is the only religion to experience a lower growth rate in the last 15 years or so. I think that the declining percentage increases have affected all of them, some even more than the Witnesses. So I have to ask myself: What is the common force that could affect all of them? The answer would be: The Internet.
God bless the Internet!
David
-
77
An official Jw.org YouTube channel.
by His Excellency inan official jw.org youtube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/user/jehovahswitnessesen/videos,
-
-
david_10
I can't hardly believe that this is real------------I just can't believe it. It looks real, but I still can't believe it.
But, then again, I don't know why I, or anyone else, should be so incredulous. In the past, The Society has used the available media to reach the people. For many years, they used the sound cars and phonographs. For many years, they effectively used the radio. And, of course, print. Now that we're in the 21st Century, with print losing it's influence, the internet, in general, and YouTube, in particular, are the most effective ways to take it to the people. Someone above me said that if you can't beat 'em, you better join 'em, and that makes sense to me.
I watched one of the videos....................."Please and Thank You." It was a good video. What can I say?
David