Posts by Eric

22

Help!! Baby Birds have invaded!!

by Scully in

jw
friends

about a month ago, i rescued a bird from our bathroom vent and told mr. scully that we needed to install some screening over the opening so that she would not build a nest inside the vent.

i even went to the home depot and bought some screen.

all he had to do was go up on the ladder and install the freaking screen.. did he listen to me?

Eric

Sorry Scully,

But unless Momma Bird can find them when she comes back, they're goners.

It was pouring rain yesterday, and I saw at least a dozen newly hatched goslings instinctively following Momma goose out for a walk. Their back feathers had not yet formed and it was cold last night, it's a sure thing that they are goners too.

There is a large metal box housing electrical junctions that dates back to the 1950's mounted on the south side of an unused building near me. Every year Blackbirds build a nest inside, every year the sun comes out and bakes the metal box like an oven, and the Blackbird hatchlings are goners.

Nature is a harsh mistress, Scully, and does not tolerate mistakes.

Eric

P.S. You could try chopping up worms and bugs for them, but it is certain that you lack Momma birds digestive enzyme.

35

Did You Put Off Saving For Retirement?

by Shakita in

jw
friends

i didn't think that i would ever retire in this system of things.

i felt that long before retirement age the new system would be here and i would have no money worries.

as the years rolled by and i didn't have any thing saved for retirement, i became more and more anxious.

Eric

A Lovely award, Herk. So richly deserved.

Eric

35

Did You Put Off Saving For Retirement?

by Shakita in

jw
friends

i didn't think that i would ever retire in this system of things.

i felt that long before retirement age the new system would be here and i would have no money worries.

as the years rolled by and i didn't have any thing saved for retirement, i became more and more anxious.

Eric

Shakita et al,

Moving thread. Thank you all for your comments here.

Perhaps now is a good moment to see what the the Society views as an informed use of one's Superannuation or Retirement funds...

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WESTERN

SAMOA Population: 140,000

Peak

Publishers: 92 Ratio: 1 to 1,522

A brother with a family of eleven, including an adopted daughter and pioneer living with them, wanted to get all of them overseas to the international assembly in Fiji. Only one source of finance was available. His employers kept a superannuation fund to be withdrawn on retirement or in very exceptional circumstances. Having worked there many years, the brother figured he would have enough in it to get the family to the assembly. Reasoning that integrity and faith in Jehovah will get one through the coming tribulation whether one has money in a fund or not, he resolved to invest his fund toward guaranteeing his family’s future spiritual survival.

It was not until the week of travel to the assembly that he was able to contact his managing director. Naturally, his director felt as many would. He wondered why a family man would wish to withdraw his only security against the future and chance leaving nothing for them if something happened to him. The brother explained the importance to him and his family as Jehovah’s worshipers of attending the assembly and that this was the only way for them to get to Fiji. His being a respected and trusted employee, his director favorably granted the request and made an unprecedented exception in letting him withdraw his superannuation fund in full. Happy and thankful to Jehovah for this blessing, he went the following day and paid his family’s ship fares to Fiji. The family then joyfully prepared to leave.

Later that week, however, the brother was informed that the ship was strike-bound in another country and would not be sailing as expected. The only other way out of the country, so as to be at the assembly in time, was by air at greater expense. Suffice it to say that the brother and his family enjoyed the assembly, with no regrets. They know that only spiritual steadfastness, faith and obedience to Jehovah will preserve them. in the future and not transient material possessions.

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That was from the 1971 Yearbook.

I wonder if anyone responsible for the writing, printing and publication of this codswollop, this account of a potential family financial tragedy affecting nine children, ever followed up when Armaghedon did not occur in 1975?

How would that phone call even go?

Brrring...Brrring >click< "Hello? Brother Example from Western Samoa? Yeah, the one who ditched his hard earned Retirement Fund to get to our assembly just to hear our cornball theories on 'organ transplants = canabalism' and the very, very near end of the world? Right, right... Yeah, we made a ton of money off that. How's it working for you?"

Eric

865

WoMD ... so where are they?

by Simon in

now, the war is over, the weapons were not used and of course have not been found.. how threatening could they be if they did not even use them when being invaded by a massive force (of the countries they hate)?!

perhaps, as many suspect, they didn't use them because they didn't have them?.

now we're being told that we'll have to be patient and give them time to find them.

Eric

Reborn,

No one seems to remember the Tuskegee Incident (in which African-American United States citizens were injected with syphilis to determine the effects,

Sorry to interject, I'm as curious as anyone as to how WMD continue to elude detection by the US forces after their takeover/liberation of Iraq.

But, in the Tuskegee Incident, no one was "injected" with syphilis.

Men diagnosed with syphilis were simply not told and were marked for follow-up to track the disease, based on race.

It was a disgusting and vile project that led to unnecessary deaths, the actions of all involved were abhorent, and need no embellishment.

Eric

15

Talking about legalizing marijauna

by obiwan in

jw
friends

well i was discussing to a friend about legalizing "it" and he said it's not possible.

then i proceeded to tell him how it could be, here's how it could be.

first the government would award contracts to growers so it could be grown.

Eric

In a similar vein comparing marijuana to alchohol, I'd like to see a law that would allow the growing of weed for personal use that parallels the law governing home wine-making.

You can freely make your own wine, with no governmental intrusion whatsoever up to a preset limit. Let's say 100 litres. (Not sure of the allowed amount.)

You can drink it, invite your friends over to drink it, your friends can bring some bottles of their wine over to share with you, you can trade bottles of wine between yourselves and discuss your home wine-making techniques to your hearts content.

You just can't SELL a single drop of it.

I believe the Canadian government in 1973 flew up a trial balloon suggesting exactly this, with a limit of 7 plants per person, but it never made it to the Commons for debate.

If pot-smokers could grow for personal use without fear of a bust, could share and trade their personal stash with friends, to whom would a dealer sell? Sure, there are still bootleggers of alchohol, and there would still be some dope-dealers, but I think it would kick the crap out of a particularly seedy, questionable black-market industry.

On the upside for the taxman as well, the home wine-making supplies business is quite large and healthy, paying their sales and business taxes like everyone else. I can see no reason to doubt that a similar small industry for hydroponics equipment would also flourish.

Any thoughts?

Eric

101

Time for a 'bad joke' thread (groan)

by Simon in

.

how does bob marley like his doughnuts?.

.. .. "wi jammin"

Eric

For fans of this sort of thing, the most elaborate buildup to the most clever yet unsatisfying punchline ever has to be the short story written by Isaac Asimov:

Shah Guido G.

Enjoy!

Eric

7

Alpine, Calif. KH Defaced

by Kenneson in

jw
friends

"teens surrender in easter vandalism of 3 churches.

students allegedly photographed acts.".

in addition to the k.h., the catholic church and the mormon temple were also vandalized with satanic symbols and epithets.. http://www.signsonsandiego.com/news/metro/20030429-9999_1m29church.html

Eric

I was not aware that you can "vandalize" anything with ketchup, blue duct tape, and a stuffed toy.

Sounds more like a prank than vandalism to me.

Someone please build a mall for these bright but bored kids to waste away in.

Eric

15

Jurassic Dinosaurs/ T-Rex Park.

by ScoobySnax in

jw
friends

i got this idea in my head about trying to extract dinosaur dna from insects long since trapped in maybe something like fossilised amber and then trying to replicate it within a modern species (say a frogs dna) and using the extra dna to "fill in the gaps" thus being able to maybe, and (said excitedly) clone dinosaurs.

maybe we could get enough embryos to hold in cold harvest, and then use them once we'd built a park, on an enclosed island (like the uk,or somewhere) to reproduce and make real living attractions, like t-rex and triceratops, brachiosaurus etc etc... i'm thinking of big gates that open up to the park, with maybe a tram line type thing running around the perimeter using maybe land-rover type cars on a track.

it'll be really exciting.... can you help?

Eric

I've heard Styx will be touring this summer.

Eric

2

Quotable Quote

by Stephanus in

jw
friends

the end is believed to be nigh, but this is a protracted condition rather than a terminal event, a state which looms but never happens.

.

http://www.spiked-online.com/articles/00000006dd71.htm

Eric

Much like clicking the link.

Eric

3

Natural West Nile mosquito and bug repellants

by Lady Lee in

jw
friends

our news here in winnipeg is talking more about how to deal with those blood-sucking critters that now present more of a health risk than ever before.

you might want to think about and try some of these natural repellants .

bob, a fisherman, takes one vitamin b-1 tablet a day april through october .

Eric

Thanks Lady Lee,

I work outdoors, I'm going to give the B-1 vitamins a go, starting now.

I've also heard that citronella extract is a good natural repellant, but I must admit that since I need good 30spf sunblock on during the summer the contact repellant that I've been using has reliable, nasty old DEET at 15% mixed with a 30spf block, just because the single application saves me time. If anyone is interested, it's made by "Croc-block".

The best information I've been able to come across indicates that of the almost 40 species of mosquito that live in my area, (SW Ontario) only 2 carry the West Nile Virus. Both species require dead calm stagnant, warm water to successfully hatch and through the larval stage of about 9 days.

We can help reduce the chances that these virus carriers will reproduce through some good yard and home maintenance:

* An old tire leaning up against a wall with a puddle of stagnant water in it is an example of the perfect breeding ground. Recycle them! If you can't part with your old tire swing, drill some drain holes in it.

* Check that your eavestroughs drain completely.

* Punch drain holes in the bottom of your garbage cans and recycling bins.

* Change the water in your birdbath regularly, ie: weekly.

* If you go on vacation, have your housesitter or a pool maintenance company drain your pool / hottub cover if it rains.

* I, like me, you have an old truck you only use as a "winter-beater", clean out any standing water from the box regularly. (If you want to put some drain holes into it, be sure you know where electrical, fuel, and brakes lines run!)

I'm sure you can think of other specific examples of spots in your yard you would check on. I'm not beyond noticing some obvious potential problems in my neighbourhood and politely knocking on their door to let them know. Most mosquitoes live and die in a 100 metre radius of where they were laid as eggs, barring transportation by humans.

By all means, take a stroll through the parking lot, yard and receiving area of you place of employment and report the potential breeding grounds you may see. Or, if you know your Health and Safety rep, ask them if they are aware of the need to eliminate the breeding areas for mosquitoes on their next workplace inspection, and ask for a follow-up.

Finally, if you see a place of business that has problems with storing old tires, drums, containers, vehicles, or covering things up with sagging tarps, ask to speak with the manager, or if you are a bit shy of confrontation, report the situation to your local Health Unit, and ask for a follow-up.

Eric