SirNose586

Joined

• started 23 topics
• posted 3,808 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by SirNose586

• 
  29

  Voting with their wallet

  by SirNose586 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when i came here in may, i began to see phrases like "voting with their wallets" or "voting with their feet" in regards to declining contributions and declining attendance figures.

  i think i am seeing the former in action..... last sunday i went to the local ca.

  at the half they read the accounts report--aka, cough up that dough report--and there was a "$4,000 deficit.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  SirNose586

  I alway liked the arrangement where elders would "anonymously" walk up the the CO or DO after the elder's meeting and hand them envelopes of money. All "anonymously" of course.

  Don't they call that simony? I did a #4 on that, you know!
• 
  22

  So ashamed this morning........

  by Frannie Banannie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was at the grocery store, wheeling a cart about 1/4 full.

  the desire to have some cigarettes was so overwhelming that i avoided my family members with me at the store, grabbed two packs of my favorite brand of cigarettes and hid them under the growing pile of items in my cart.. it was about that time that i woke up.

  and very briefly, until i came to my senses, i felt that it was no use to even try if i was going to be so weak as to sabotage my own efforts to be strong..

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  SirNose586

  Yes isnt it frightning Frannie .????...It happened to me. Not with smoking I was with Sir Tom Jones ( if you get my drift

  It's not unusual to have dreams 'bout anyone, It's not unusual to have R.E.M.-induced fun..
• 
  16

  LAME (or funny) JW "Get together" stories, please...

  by exwitless in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ok,i've been sick for 2 days (sore throat, feeling run-down) so i could use some good laughs.

  something just made me think of how absurdly lame jw "get-togethers" always were.

  there were several that we went to (when we were still being love-bombed as newbies) where we ate dinner, then played bible pictionary.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  SirNose586

  I didn't think of it at the time, but NONE of the get togethers actually involved just "hanging out" and talking like real people. They were just like going to a meeting, where everyone says, "Hi, sister, how are you?" with a cheesy smile on their faces but they aren't really asking how you are. The gatherings that I went to were eerily like the pictures out of the WT, where there's a Bible on the coffee table (and of course WT magazines) and the women in dresses and men in suits or polo shirts. Except one time we gathered at a park, and one brother who obviously didn't own "casual wear" came with shorts, a button down shirt, and BLACK KNEE-HIGH SOCKS AND BLACK DRESS SHOES. Poor guy.

  I always got a kick out of those cats who weren't socially adept and wore the same thing. Poor things--no one in real life goes to a park in a dress shirt and slacks! But what can you say, the WT is their whole life and interacting with average people is just something they don't get to experience.

  The lack of relaxed atmosphere at the gatherings also got to me, too. Every conversation with people I didn't really know (or with people I considered spiritually "stronger" than me) I just hoped to conclude without offending them or saying something that would start rumors. Unease, I suppose, is the best word to describe it. Not the same feeling with close friends. Every conversation was like a minefield--don't step there, proceed this way, okay you're almost out of the minefield...don't blow it....
• 
  16

  LAME (or funny) JW "Get together" stories, please...

  by exwitless in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ok,i've been sick for 2 days (sore throat, feeling run-down) so i could use some good laughs.

  something just made me think of how absurdly lame jw "get-togethers" always were.

  there were several that we went to (when we were still being love-bombed as newbies) where we ate dinner, then played bible pictionary.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  SirNose586

  At one couple's suprise anniversary party, this one sister (unmarried, in her late 40's pioneer, never worked a day at a job in her life but took care of old people and so got part of their inheritance) took out a ukelele and tried to get people to sing along to kingdumb melodies. I knew I should've left earlier.

  To this day, "bust out the ukelele" is code for a [lamer than average] get-together that is going to be filled with uppity dubs.
• 
  39

  How old did you expect to be when the New System would come?

  by JH in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i became a jw at age 28 and no way did i expect to ever get older than 40 years old in this system.. maybe at the extreme, i could have imagined being 45 years old, not more..

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  SirNose586

  A few years ago I thought, "I don't think this world is going to be here when I am 30" so I didn't have to feel bad about pursuing the limited line of education that I did. Now that I know the WTS is wrong, I focus far more into the future, like a normal person.
• 
  11

  Online Poker Banned in 'Safe Port' bill

  by AK - Jeff in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061013/dcf009.html?.v=70.

  i do not agree with this, do you?.

  i am conservative - but this approach of sneaking a ban in though another bill is wrong, imo.. jeff .

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  SirNose586

  Shouldn't he be helping Republicans? Somehow I think upsetting Poker Joe Voter was not a smart thing to do.
• 
  29

  Voting with their wallet

  by SirNose586 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when i came here in may, i began to see phrases like "voting with their wallets" or "voting with their feet" in regards to declining contributions and declining attendance figures.

  i think i am seeing the former in action..... last sunday i went to the local ca.

  at the half they read the accounts report--aka, cough up that dough report--and there was a "$4,000 deficit.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  SirNose586

  There is always a built in deficit. My husband says that they when the elders meet at the CA (on Saturday) that they voted to send $5,000 to the WTS off the top of the donations. That resolution is added into the general assembly expenses. So Sunday morning when the CA administrator reads the accounts report, that includes that $5,000. I don't know if every circuit does this, but this has been a regular practice around here for years.

  Blondie

  Hey, you're right! They said they voted to send $2k off to the Borg for the WWW! I remember thinking that day, "If they know expenses are going to be so much, why don't they hold off giving extra to the Borg?" Now I know. And knowing is half the battle.
• 
  29

  Voting with their wallet

  by SirNose586 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when i came here in may, i began to see phrases like "voting with their wallets" or "voting with their feet" in regards to declining contributions and declining attendance figures.

  i think i am seeing the former in action..... last sunday i went to the local ca.

  at the half they read the accounts report--aka, cough up that dough report--and there was a "$4,000 deficit.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  SirNose586

  Shame on everyone who refuses to donate to the Watchtower what they so richly deserve! Next time you go to an assembly, stuff an envelope full of used toilet paper and put it in a donation box.

  Tell 'em what you really think.

  W

  What a stinky message that would send! No seriously, I think next DC I'm going to print out some Russel Dollars and donate them at a box where the person is talking to someone else, so they don't remember who put an envelope inside...
• 
  19

  Are you 'following a worldly course'? Loaded WT expressions.

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  another example of the wts's loaded language that i actually find quite offensive.. the expression 'following a worldly course' is banded about, often in a similar context to that below, taken from the watchtower of may 1973 (convention review):.

  the next oldest, a son, told how he also at one time wanted to go to college and follow a worldly course.

  but his father sat down and reviewed the scriptures with him.. so, what is 'following a worldly course'?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  SirNose586

  It is actually quite sad that in a stroke it is implied that gaining an education and providing a comfortable living for ones family is not worthwhile and is somehow negative, even wicked.

  [Borgmode]Of course it's wicked. Don't you know that false religion's end is near? Shouldn't you be speeding up in this time of the end? What about the illustration of the wealthy man who laid up good things for himself, but died that very night? Your silver and gold will be worthless on Jehover's Day, therefore scraping by month after month is truly the wisest course. If you are especially holy, you will begin to receive miracle checks in the mail. This is called "Jehoover provides," and if you are not a pioneer you will not receive these checks. Don't you listen at assemblies? Poor people decide to pioneer, then bam! Miracle check in the mail! This is how God works: scrape by, pioneer, never miss a meeting, don't sin, and you will receive a miracle check or golden handshake. Regular good paychecks are for evil people who trust in hard work to provide for families.

  So instead of trusting evil "higher education" to get you by--same goes for pensions if you're old--how happifying it is to trust in Jehober: The God of Miracle Checks for Good Little Dubs!![/Borgmode]

  Seriously folks....they said "don't trust in pensions or savings plans like the 401k" at the CA. I kid you not. What do they want, people working into their 80's?
• 
  29

  Voting with their wallet

  by SirNose586 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when i came here in may, i began to see phrases like "voting with their wallets" or "voting with their feet" in regards to declining contributions and declining attendance figures.

  i think i am seeing the former in action..... last sunday i went to the local ca.

  at the half they read the accounts report--aka, cough up that dough report--and there was a "$4,000 deficit.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  SirNose586

  SirNose,

  I have not read the other comments, but want to address just your issues.
  The District Conventions and Circuit assemblies have taught many local congregations a lesson- Always report a deficit to raise more money.

  That was my guess. I remember the year they started fleecing the flock for more dough at the CAs--they reported assembly costs as a good couple thousand dollars more than last year. When the brother announced the "deficit," there arose an audible collective gasp from the audience. He heard it and said, "Yes, I know it's a lot more, but there were big jumps in certain expenses." I guess maybe they wanted to fly the Bethelites first class that year? The Borgtower wanted more money...? Either way, the "deficits" kept getting bigger year after year.

  I really love the way he announces it too, with that slightly crestfallen voice. "At this point, we have a $4,000 deficit. We'd like to thank...all the friends for their....generous contributions. You may be seated."

  Contributions to the World Wide Work are down, though, and perhaps your
  congregation really is not covering local expenses like they used to.

  There was a mixup on the CO fund. Lots of people in my hall put money in WWW, not local funds, and even then I know we didn't cover it all. As a result, we had to dip heavily into congregation funds. I don't know how much we recieved for the KHAA resolution, but both costs were at least $1200 (800+ for CO, 400+ for KHAA). We had around 1k, then we plummeted to 100. The numbers really don't lie, do they?