when i first heard of the new watchtower arrangement, i immediately thought it was another in a long line of cost-cutting moves.
i thought they were interested in cutting the overall number of magazines they print every month.
so if they printed 20 million copies every 15 days, they could now print seven or eight million out of one of the monthly editions and cut over 10 million of magazines a month.
Highlander:
It is about money, but it's even more about control.
I agree with Highlander on this one, it is about control (mind and money) period.
I posted my theory on the cost control portion in the Scandals & Coverups section last night. http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/11/136026/1.ashx
SnakesInTheTower (of the "no more control to the Borg" Sheep Class)
i found this newspaper article online today........jr brown makes a comment why there are no windows in kh's.
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/080106/enm_4104779.shtml.
by phillip milano, the times-union.
MC
Lol Finally-Free Just reminded me - the code for the Burglar (security) alarm was 1-9-1-4 lol - I wonder how many Kingdom Halls have the same code, and if they've changed it now!?
OMG! there have to be hundreds... ours was 1-9-1-4, but the CO apartment was 4-1-9-1 (oh, that's clever!). When we were changing the CO code, I changed the code to 1-9-7-5. They did not see the humor of that.... I wonder why....they changed it back to 4-1-9-1. My old KH was one of those cheapa*s (purchased at a thrift store) alarms that had wireless sensors and the keypad/alarm was hung on the wall and plugged into the outlet!....hmmmm ,...guess only the stupidest burglar would not figure out to turn off the loud alarm, all they have to do is UNPLUG THE ALARM?? (which is usually how I shut off the alarm...could not remember the code....oh yeah... 1-9-1-4) Alarm did not help when vandals spray painted "FU*K Jesus" and the pantagraph (sp?) on the brick wall outside....! Oh yeah,,,,no windows except on the front by the doors SnakesInTheTower (of the "1-9-7-5" Sheep Class)
i was reflecting on the other thread (http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/11/135961/2.ashx) about the new koolaid watchtower....and thinking about this being more of an overall cost cutting measure than any kind of old light repackaged as special lite.......can you think of any other examples?
a few examples: no more subscriptions (no more yellow envelopes, no more yellow, blue, green, pink forms).
no more postages sending individual magazines.. kingdom ministry now sent in same box as magazines rather than separate roll of kms to po house.
I was reflecting on the other thread (http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/11/135961/2.ashx) about the new Koolaid Watchtower....and thinking about this being more of an overall cost cutting measure than any kind of Old Light repackaged as Special Lite.......can you think of any other examples?
A FEW EXAMPLES: no more subscriptions (no more yellow envelopes, no more yellow, blue, green, pink forms). No more postages sending individual magazines.
Kingdom Ministry now sent in same box as magazines rather than separate roll of KMs to PO house. (more postage saved). CD/MP3 of Craptower and Awake magazines instead of cassettes (cant wait til they say, just download them yourself, save us the shipping costs)
Non-sensitive (but still BOE only) Society letters sent through COs as PDF file via email to congo POs and secretaries (10,000 US letters @ $.41 =$4100 per letter not sent, plus envelopes, paper, ink, handling, etc.) I personally received these PDF letters as secretary.....so I know its true.
Literature sent to Literature Depots in Watchtower Trucks Common Carrier LTL (less than Load) instead of individual congos... (more shipping charges saved, no more use of Society trucks) ....I personally observed 75% decrease in literature shipments at our Lit Depot because of the next 2 items:
Less literature printed because: only 1 new paperback (instead of hardback) released at each DC...others items not released until Sept at congo.....(less to print/ship paperbacks)
WT Library CD ROM: ploy to get the R&F to order less hardback vinyl cover WT Bound Volumes Borg Corrected Reprints yet make same donation to the Worldwide Pediphile Settlement Work(and it seems to be working)
No more Price List Publications List since this catalog is now online for literature ordering (https://www.jw.org/ ...go ahead, but you need a password..any hackers?) ...field reports/Memorial reports also sent through this site. (no more forms to print, ship, open, process, meaning less Bethelites Borg Volunteers needed....)
I say, and I hate to give credit to the Borg, but absolutely fu*ki*g brilliant...LOL as OUTLAW says!
SnakesInTheTower (of the "still not donating" Sheep Class)
what do you think the first secret watchtower is going to be about?.
you know the jan 15th, 2008 apostate proof edition..
I think NeonMadman has probably hit it closest:
new "secret" Watchtower editions will be: the same old crap, slightly tweaked . Take the two Watchtowers for any given month, clip out all the study articles and put them under one cover (along with, maybe, the more organizationally-oriented "Questions from Readers"). Then take all the articles that are left, and place them under the other cover. Then print 14 million or so fewer copies of the ones with the study articles.
To add my 2 cents $.005 after deflation worth. I think you will see more of this:
* Cover story leading in to Study Articles * "Life Stories" at the end of each Kool-Aid edition to "encourage" guilt trip the dubs to do more (since the average Householder will not care one bit about that.) * 4 or 5 study articles each Kool-aid edition * Organizational QFR (as NM said). Maybe I could see them including the Kingdom Minstry (thus eliminating the KM...more cost savings)....IF they control the WT Koolaid edition like they control the KM distribution.
I do believe it is part of the overall cost-cutting measures: see my post on this.. http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/11/136026/1.ashx
SnakesInTheTower (of the "still not donating" Sheep Class)
is the watchtower society secretly a little embarrassed by its shunning / disfellowshipping policy.. i haven't seen much in the way of instructions on how to deal with the 'lliving dead' in the watchtower and awake magazines in the last few years.
they tend to talk about df'd persons as 'choosing a course of life that leads to df ing rather than that harsh nitty gritty of how to treat or rather mistreat such people.. is this mistreatment only discussed in the kingdom ministry pamphlets now and deliberately kept hush hush?.
i should imagine the high mortatlity rate due to df ing leading to suicides could be very embarrassing for the organization..
Welcome Flaxen Wick to the board
SnakesInTheTower (of "the Shortest Reply by Snake Ever" Sheep Class)
anyone here master the art of pressing in the doorbell without really pressing it?
how about knocking where it seems loud on the outside, but you know it can't be heard on the inside.
or standing at a door for up to 5 minutes when you know nobody was there.
I sure am glad this thread got bumped up... oldie but goodie.
My Routine while Pioneering(tm)
Start at 6:45 by leaving a tract under the receiver at a phone booth or in a laundry mat (never mind that both were in someone else's territory, just closer to my house to start my Time™.
Meet rest of early morning group at 7. Make sure to drive so as to control the route and order of people getting out. Make sure other 4 people get their Time™ started. Go through drive thru for coffee/soda, etc. Better if you have to hit 2 or 3 places to satisfy everyone. Maybe leave tract with someone.
Make sure that other 4 people hit the laundromats that have people in them. Praise them for having extra long good chats. Encourages such behavior in the future.
Be sure to go to unattended apartment laundry rooms to leave magazines. Leave 2 2006 Back Issues. (Be Make sure to take out the 23 1999 Craptowers already there and throw them back in book bag for later recycling.)
Make sure to do laundry room in apartment in rural area 30 min away. Assure group that Time(tm) continues as long as we are Productive(tm) ...relate experiences to distract.
850 a.m. Make sure to get to Field Service Meeting(tm) 10 min early. Encourage talking afterwards....leave KH at 930am. Hit Eternal Not-At-Home(R) on the way to rural territory.
(Make sure to be Car Captain. Be sure to have odd number. Volunteer as Resident Pioneer(tm) or Elder(tm) to work by yourself so the Sisters(tm) dont have to...praised for unselfish attitude.) Do fake door bell ring/soft knock to prevent waking Householder (tm) while working by oneself.
1025a.m. Ask if anyone needs to freshen up/get coffee....end up at Hardee's, where there are 7 other car groups already starting on their 3/4 Thickburger Combo Meal (1500 cal). Why the hell are they eating THAT so damn early. Stay until 1115.
1115-Noon(ish).... go on Perpetual Return Visits Social Calls..Bonus time if they start Study (tm).
If you must go out in afternoon, just claim to have prearranaged studies and RVs....no, no, have to do these by myself. Be sure to turn in Bible Study Reports(tm) for these phantom studies., in case you have diligent Service Overseer(tm) or Secretary(tm) that asks about them. If called on to take CO(tm) on these calls, just say, "Oh, so-and-so died last week." (Remember to turn in one last report for dead phantom study...create new phantom study next month to take their place.)
Routine after I stopped Pioneering and became an elder: Do Early Morning Routine with Group at 7....meet for service at 9...get group out....go home and back to bed.
Current Routine.... dont bother anymore...turn in 2-3 hours of phantom time and a couple of phantom return visits to prevent Shepherding Calls On Inactive
SnakesInTheTower (of the "Sleeping in on Saturdays" Sheep Class)
i remember when filling this out some time back that one of the questions it had was something along the lines of......... "do you trust in the "faithful and discreet slave" and recognize it as god's sole channel of spiritual truth?.
someone correct for any needed changes to that question.... why ask prospective pioneers this?.
is there any other reason or something pertaining to any legal ramifications as to why they would ask this?.
The Bethel ap had something about "do you have or have you ever had homosexual feelings"? WTF? Oh, thats right, you have at least 2 (and in the old days 3 or more) boys in the same small cramped Bethel apartment closet. Might have something happend if you mixed a little homo leaven into the hetero lump. (And I know for certain it did happen.)
Why would anyone answer that personal question? I personally dont understand why a person would be homosexual, but I also believe that is their personal business and not the business of the Personnel Department of the Borg (or anyone else for that matter). Its not a legal question on a secular application, why is it acceptable on a Borg ap?
The Bethel ap was really long last time I filled one out..lots of personal questions. Thank goodness after my last temp Bethel stint I "humbly" withdrew my permanent ap to pioneer (after which I stopped pioneering ).
SnakesInTheTower (of the "not Slaving for the Slave" Sheep Class)
...we used to get when the circuit servant/overseer/area douchebag manager would come to our congregation and give his "special talk" on sunday complete with slides or a movie?
it sure was a nice change from watching some guy up on the platform wearing a cheap suit and droaning on and on about nothing.
Yep.... I remember getting all excited for the circuit assemblies, special assembly days, district, etc...even as an adult. I never get excited anymore about Borg related special events (...with one exception..... I went to a special convention in Germany last year as a delegate...... and it was cool, esp since I did not understand a damn thing... only the GB talks and reports were in english....everything else I heard was in another language!...so I just read my bible and checked out all the gorgeous sisters from Holland.... Sri Lanka, India, .......in their saris.....yeah.... they were really beautiful... ..took lots of pictures and video of them!...wish I had not been "attached" at the time....
I never did not get too worked up about CO visits, even as an elder/pioneer, it was more a headache than anything..watching the other elders shepherding run around like chickens with their heads cut off preparing for the CO visit dog and pony show. As a secretary I had my paperwork in order, so no scurrying for me (of course, because I was so bored with the meetings, I would often go into the library/elders room during the meeting, turn on the speakers, and do paperwork while half listening. Pissed the PO off...young buck said I was setting a bad example. (screw him).)
Recently I missed the special assembly day. The PO gave me a DVD of it (good quality audio/video since it was directly off the assembly hall system... bad quality talks). I watched the closing talk from the bethel speaker (John Williams, anyone hear of him?) He gave the talk on ...what was it ..something about studying incessantly or something? no putting down the notes and telling us anything earth shattering...but it still sounded like crap. And the only thing I could think was, as I sat in the comfort of my living room in my jammies....... I used to sit through that crap and eat it up.... blechhhh
I am dreading the upcoming DC in Aug. No way am I going to all 3 days and miss work (I work mostly weekends, so it would hit me financially to miss 3 days of work)....
For those who have gone is there a particular day/session I should show up at (just to say I went and not send up red flags?) PM me if you have ideas here.
SnakesInTheTower (of the "not so excited anymore" Sheep Class)
we hear so much about the boring talks.. several years ago an attempt was made to liven things up a bit by randomly choosing people before the public talk, handing them a slip of paper with a question on it, and asking if they would like to answer the question when called upon during the talk.
that must have been 20+ years ago.
anybody know why that practice was discontinued?.
I remember my dad having a public talk in the 70s where he had the audience participation. I was just a kid, but I seem to remember that the audience members were portraying members of the press asking him questions which he answered. Dont remember the topic. I do remember years later seeing an update to the outline saying to toss the old one and not have audience participation.
As for props...OMG! I used tons and tons of props during my talks and parts...I once used a small step stool and a huge step ladder for an illustration. In rehearsal the ladder just barely cleared the ceiling...it actually scraped it, but during the meeting the brothers bringing the ladder out were more careful and just barely cleared the ceiling. (Until the day we sold that KH that little scrape was on the ceiling) People were standing in the back to see the ladders and all of the labels on it. People remembered it for years, even remembered what the talk was about and its application...so unusuall... Now people reminisce.... .. "remember when we used to do fun thing like that?".... sighhh
I had another time where I had the 2 sisters on the stage pantomiming (but no audio) that they were talking together. I was not even on the stage, I was in the library with the cordless mic and narrating what the audience was about to see. Everyone wondered where I was until they heard my voice. Then the brother and I came out of the library talking about something and joined the conversation.
One of the best things I remember as a kid in the 70's was the congo overseer (PO) had the part on the district convention in 1978.....
the year of the international here. The elder was talking about being prepared. He wore one of those Brockabrellas (see above illustration) on his head during the whole part.... what a hoot! He suggested we wear those to the convention (it being an outdoor stadium), and many did!!! Where we were it was hot as hell. 100 degrees plus on the field (astroturf at the time, later the field was returned to grass, stadium has since been replaced)
Ah, the good 'ol days. I actually, before being deleted, wanted to do a creation talk as a slide show.... with digital photography and sound and animation and PowerPoint that would have been cool... and definitely not boring....sighhh.....I never got the chance.
Guess the GB/BorgTower Publishing Corporation wants em all in lockstep now..... FU8K EM!
SnakesInTheTower (of the "reminiscing about the good ol days" Sheep Class)
why doesnt he just talk to me later?
i dont really talk about this much, but i just dont get it.
he seems confident that eventually ill understand him.
Confession
I sure am glad this thread was revived. Even though I was lurking here in 05, I missed your story. What an amazing command of the English language you have.
Another contributer here has suggested I expand upon the story and have it published. I think I'll do just that
Did you ever get around to writing that book? I would go right out and buy it. I think with the right title, right cover, and right marketing to get the word out, you could have a best-seller.
Sincerely
SnakesInTheTower (of the "appreciating fine writing" Sheep Class)
