I finally found real love....but only when I left the Borg. I am engaged to a wonderful nonJW gal. I would never have asked her out if I were still operating under JW rules about love...
Snakes ( Rich)
SnakesInTheTower
JoinedPosts by SnakesInTheTower
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9
When love dies...
by JustHuman14 inin my mind lately this thought is spinning round and round.
can you find real love in the wt world?
i guess you cant.
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St Peters broker banned for ponzi scheme (IS AN ACTIVE JW!!...I knew this idiot)
by SnakesInTheTower ini was lying in bed this morning listening to the local news on the radio when i heard something about a broker, a ponzi scheme, "selling to fellow church members" and a name....ken neely..... i thought...wtf?
is it the same ken neely i had met?
i had often seen him at the st. louis assembly hall.
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SnakesInTheTower
I was lying in bed this morning listening to the local news on the radio when I heard something about a broker, a ponzi scheme, "selling to fellow church members" and a name....Ken Neely....
I thought...WTF? Is it the same Ken Neely I had met? I had often seen him at the St. Louis assembly hall. I wonder if the Assembly Hall Overseer had any investments with this "brother" (they were good friends..bet that changes). This guy definitely put on a "showy display." I went to a 50th anniversary dinner for the assembly hall overseer and his wife at a country club...I believe the one in the article was the place.
I had always wondered if his investments stuff was legit. Turns out it was not. I found the article from the St. Louis [MO] Post Dispatch in the online edition. I wonder what the local elduhs are going to do about this? (is it conflict of interest to sit on a JC for your investment "broker." ..LOL)
Snakes ( Rich)
St. Peters broker banned for ponzi scheme
By Jim Gallagher
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
07/28/2009Securities industry regulators say a St. Peters stockbroker ran an eight-year ponzi scheme in which he swindled brokerage customers, fellow church members and a cousin in order to support a "lavish personal lifestyle" and $4,000-per-month entertainment bills.
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority announced Monday that broker Kenneth George Neely took $600,000 from at least 25 victims, claiming he would invest it in a fictitious investment club and a nonexistent real estate investment trust.
Without admitting guilt, Neely last week consented to an order banning him from the brokerage business. He could not be reached for comment. FINRA officials said he does not have a lawyer.
FINRA, the self-regulatory arm of the brokerage industry, gave this account of Neely's activities:
Neely has been a broker since 1987. In 2001, he was working for UBS PaineWebber Inc. when he fell on hard times amid the collapse of the technology investment bubble. His income dropped from $150,000 in 2000 to $30,000 in 2002. He was having trouble paying bills. He ran up some of those debts buying dinners and drinks for clients and friends at his country club.
"It was during this period of personal financial stress that (Neely) conceived and effected his ponzi scheme," FINRA said in its order. He invented the "St. Louis Investment Club" and the equally phony "St. Charles REIT," promising 20 percent returns. He made up investment "certificates" for the club and REIT to give to clients. His first investor was a cousin who invested $30,000, expecting returns of up to 10 percent.
Neely portrayed membership in the investment club as exclusive. He told a retiree, a longtime friend and fellow church member (Neely is a Jehovah's Witness) that he would tell her when "openings" occurred in the club. "Seven or eight" other church members invested in the scam, said James Shorris, executive vice president at FINRA. "In no sense were these sophisticated investors," he added.
Neely also signed up his brokerage clients, while trying to hide that fact from his employers, regulators said. FINRA records show that Neely moved from UBS to Stifel Nicolaus and finally to AXA in Clayton. In all, at least 25 people eventually invested in the scheme, FINRA said.
A ponzi scheme operates by paying current investors with money from new investors. Neely returned about $300,000 to clients over time, FINRA said.
Neely spent the other $300,000 on his personal expenses including "his lavish personal lifestyle, including entertainment expenses at his country club, sometimes totaling over $4,000 per month," the FINRA order said.
Such schemes depend on a constant flow of new money. By 2007, Neely "desperately" needed funds to repay investors who were demanding their money, FINRA said. He convinced a longtime friend to invest $154,000 in the St. Charles REIT. The friend's daughter invested $10,000.
According to FINRA, the scheme continued until this month, when FINRA investigators confronted Neely. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's office in St. Louis said there are no criminal charges against Neely. The St. Charles County prosecuting attorney could not be reached.
Neely's disciplinary record shows that UBS paid out more than $240,000 to settle four cases brought by investors claiming they were placed in unsuitable investments.
AXA said it discharged Neely the day it learned of the scheme early this month and said it is investigating the matter.
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Snakes will soon be writing a DA letter
by SnakesInTheTower invery interesting thread atjeff started about whether to fade or not.
(to fade or not to fade...an opinion) thought i would start a new thread with my thoughts, but not hijack his.. here are my thoughts on my own situation which may or may not reflect anyone else's situation.
sunday is our family day.
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SnakesInTheTower
UPDATE PART ONE:
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/members/private/179391/1/Update-Engagement
more on the DA letter later..... nothing written yet...
Snakes ( Rich)
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Snakes will soon be writing a DA letter
by SnakesInTheTower invery interesting thread atjeff started about whether to fade or not.
(to fade or not to fade...an opinion) thought i would start a new thread with my thoughts, but not hijack his.. here are my thoughts on my own situation which may or may not reflect anyone else's situation.
sunday is our family day.
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SnakesInTheTower
Monday night or Tuesday morning I will (try to) post an update...
Snakes (Rich )
ATJ: That was like the commercials for Mad Men
I am supposed to borrow Season One of Mad Men from my GF's daughter before she takes off for the east coast (South Hadley, MA)
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Reconnection
by sweetface2233 ini rarely visit or post on this site anymore, but i had an experience today that made me decide to pop back in.
i've been an xjw long enough that the only time i think about my jw past is when one of my xjw friends (from this board or those i've met elsewhere) and i joke about shasta and fruit bags.. i've been playing on facebook and found some people who i used to know from the circuit assemblies and district conventions.
i would only contact them if i knew that they were xjws; either df'd before i left or were never "strong".
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SnakesInTheTower
hey stranger! good to see you pop in...wondered how things were going.... you are right....they (the JWs) would rather be like the lobster stuck in the pot clawing the others that are climbing out to rejoin them in their misery than let them go and celebrate their freedom....
I never realized how much I hated meetings (I always hated field service) until I had been away awhile (almost 2 years completely away in Sept.)
It was best decision I ever made. I will be posting an update soon (Monday night or Tuesday)
pop in once in awhile.... and celebrate your being an X-JW...or is that ex-XJW?
Snakes (aka Rich )
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Snakes will soon be writing a DA letter
by SnakesInTheTower invery interesting thread atjeff started about whether to fade or not.
(to fade or not to fade...an opinion) thought i would start a new thread with my thoughts, but not hijack his.. here are my thoughts on my own situation which may or may not reflect anyone else's situation.
sunday is our family day.
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SnakesInTheTower
There will be an update soon.....
Snakes ()
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Got the new"LED TV"...replaces Plasma and LCD's...awesome tecnology!
by Witness 007 inalready had a 50 inch lg plasma with "build in set top box" which was the latest advanced model 3 years ago...wow!
a year later this was out of date.
1080p super high def for blurays playing came out.
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SnakesInTheTower
le sigh... I have a 32 inch HD TV.... not a flat screen..... damn thing weighs 135 pounds. So bulky and heavy it stuck out of the trunk of the back of my Civic...and I backed into the driveway and rolled it into the house end over end.....turned it upside down, opened the box, turned it back over, pulled the box out, and somehow levereged it a foot up into the entertainment center....it barely fit... the actual screen part barely fit without covering the glass door to the cabinet in the side.... yeah, I had no help..and did I mention it was raining on the way home (some 15 miles)?
Hey it was on clearance...got it a few years ago at Wally World...my last major purchase at that economy eating giant...for the price I paid back then I can get a 40" HD LCD......le sigh.....
Guess I won't replace it until maybe Christmas...if I can afford it...LOL
Snakes ()
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Is The WTS Getting Desperate for Males? KM Aug 2009
by Hopscotch injust thought this article was interesting in view of what has been said in the last couple of years on the forum about the declining number of elders and servants and those reaching out.
add to that the large percentage of young teenage boys who leave 'the truth'.
i can't ever remember this much space in a km being devoted to converting men.. para 2 states: "when a family head accepts the truth, he often influences others in the family to join him in pure worship".
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SnakesInTheTower
blondie:
7) few men actually spend any time in the door to door rather running around dropping people off and picking them up.
hey...you found me out...this was my favorite scam..esp as an elder.... "oh, its so {insert mildly adverse weather condition: hot, cold, windy, rainy, etc}, I will be happy to move the car {a mere block or two} so you don't have to walk back." "Oh, thank you Brother Snakes, you are sooo kind."
other scam was....odd numbered car groups... I would offer to "work by myself" either seperate from the groups or at doors in the same group. Skipping houses that "looked" vacant.... phantom "bad dogs" {aka chihuahas} in the yard..... fake ringing the door bell and shoving a tract in the door....finishing my block early and either listening to jazz in the car or chilling under a tree drinking coffee. LOL
And the guys never wanted to chat about religion...but were always happy if I discussed their yard, favorite sports team, weather, anything.
Snakes ()
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We Former JW's Are Not Good At....
by AllTimeJeff injust based on what i have seen..... self esteem.
trying to get back to college.
meeting good people to partner up with for life.
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SnakesInTheTower
AllTimeJeff...I like this thread...my thoughts on what you and others posted are in red
Just based on what I have seen....
Self esteem working on this one...having a GF that loves me for me despite my borg upbringing sure helps that
Trying to get back to college graduating with an Associates in Science - Business next month
Meeting good people to partner up with for life have that one covered...news to follow in a few weeks
Handling Trolls on JW Internet Forums ignore ignoramus trolls..nearly mastered
Spelling and GrammerGrammar... no real issues there unless tired or posting at midnight
Letting GO about to cut the final thread...news to follow
Saying "I'm sorry" i have said I am sorry to a couple of people I DF/DA...and/or was judgmental towards...
Rising above our fears working on it....
Moving on ditto
Trust huge for me....found someone I can truly trust....
Otherwise, we are almost perfect! me...far from it...but my GF loves me anyway
Good night! good thread
Snakes (Rich )
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Tall Penguin.
by lurk3r indo you know her or keep in touch?
we have/had many mutual friends in to during our teen years.
i am just delighted to have stumbled on her profile and pic!.
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SnakesInTheTower
she posts on her blog regularly.... i met her once in TO at the apostafest..really nice gal...
and she is an excellent writer on the blog...
Snakes ()