The World Without Us, by Alan Weisman.
Changling, The Pillars of the Earth has been my favourite historical fiction novel for years now! (Im biassed being a stonemason though) I hope you enjoy it.
Mincan
JoinedPosts by Mincan
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105
What book are you reading right now?
by Wordly Andre ini am reading buried alive: the terrifying history of our most primal fear, it's really cool
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159
Apostafest Christmas at A&W's- Guess who's coming to dinner?
by AWAKE&WATCHING ini am so excited about christmas, i've only celebrated 2 since 1978.. i will be having a mini - apostafest with some jwders on the saturday after christmas along with family (even some of my ex-husband's family).
whoo hoo !
bumble bee and memario will be coming from canada and they are also bringing mincan!
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Mincan
I had a blast talking to you this weekend, and corrupting you with tobacco products. I hope to see you again soon. Be cool my brotha, and remember you have a friend in Indiana!
It won't be soon enough. You can always hang your hat at my place in Niagara Falls if you ever come up this way.
I also enjoyed our conversations immensely. More stimulating than the nicotine!
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Own up time...
by Chalam inwell it looks like this site is a real melting pot, a broad spectrum of views and beliefs.
for sure there are many disaffected ex jws.
so in as few words as possible, preferably not more than one sentence, how would you describe yourself spiritually?
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Mincan
What is the purpose of this thread? To highlight our differences?
I'm label free.
Koalas have to feed their babies shit, so that they can eventually eat eucalyptus leaves, unintelligent design.
Knee joint - Unintelligent design.
Brain science leads you to understand - Unintelligent design.
respitory apparatus and digestive apparatus sharing piping in a certain area in the throat - Unintelligent design!
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159
Apostafest Christmas at A&W's- Guess who's coming to dinner?
by AWAKE&WATCHING ini am so excited about christmas, i've only celebrated 2 since 1978.. i will be having a mini - apostafest with some jwders on the saturday after christmas along with family (even some of my ex-husband's family).
whoo hoo !
bumble bee and memario will be coming from canada and they are also bringing mincan!
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Mincan
Thanks to Mincan for letting me stay at his place.Without you I could not have gone.Thanks for not telling me I was being a girl for not walking to your house after we went to the show.My feet still hurt from walking the falls and walking Clifton hill.Thanks for showing me your city and your country for the first time.Thanks for charging my phone for me.If you want to visit Cleveland let me know your more than welcome to stay here at my place.Thanks for being a really nice sweet guy.I love you too.
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Is there a Universal Issue? Did God cheat....yes and I can prove it.
by oompa ingen. 3:5 for god knows that in the very day of your eating from it your eyes are bound to be opened and you are bound to be like god, knowing good and bad.".
(genesis 3:22) 22 and jehovah god went on to say: "here the man has become like one of us in knowing good and bad, and now in order that he may not put his hand out and actually take [fruit] also from the tree of life and eat and live to time indefinite,".
gen 3:22and the lord god said, behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:i awoke this morning and had an epiphiny.
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Mincan
Dude, it's all fairy tales.
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What's Your SUPER POWER?
by AWAKE&WATCHING inmy super power is that i can size people up rather quickly.
i also am the one even people i hardly know come to for advice because i can usually figure out exactly what to do in any difficult situation.. .
i like my super power.
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Mincan
ADHD
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Lakota Indian tribe is now its own nation!
by skeeter1 inlakota indians withdraw treaties signed with u.s. 150 years agothursday, december 20, 2007. .
washington the lakota indians, who gave the world legendary warriors sitting bull and crazy horse, have withdrawn from treaties with the united states.. "we are no longer citizens of the united states of america and all those who live in the five-state area that encompasses our country are free to join us,'' long-time indian rights activist russell means said.. a delegation of lakota leaders has delivered a message to the state department, and said they were unilaterally withdrawing from treaties they signed with the federal government of the u.s., some of them more than 150 years old.. the group also visited the bolivian, chilean, south african and venezuelan embassies, and would continue on their diplomatic mission and take it overseas in the coming weeks and months.. lakota country includes parts of the states of nebraska, south dakota, north dakota, montana and wyoming.. the new country would issue its own passports and driving licences, and living there would be tax-free - provided residents renounce their u.s. citizenship, mr means said.. the treaties signed with the u.s. were merely "worthless words on worthless paper," the lakota freedom activists said.. withdrawing from the treaties was entirely legal, means said.. "this is according to the laws of the united states, specifically article six of the constitution,'' which states that treaties are the supreme law of the land, he said.. "it is also within the laws on treaties passed at the vienna convention and put into effect by the us and the rest of the international community in 1980. we are legally within our rights to be free and independent,'' said means.. the lakota relaunched their journey to freedom in 1974, when they drafted a declaration of continuing independence an overt play on the title of the united states' declaration of independence from england.. thirty-three years have elapsed since then because "it takes critical mass to combat colonialism and we wanted to make sure that all our ducks were in a row,'' means said.. one duck moved into place in september, when the united nations adopted a non-binding declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples despite opposition from the united states, which said it clashed with its own laws.. "we have 33 treaties with the united states that they have not lived by.
they continue to take our land, our water, our children,'' phyllis young, who helped organize the first international conference on indigenous rights in geneva in 1977, told the news conference.. the u.s. "annexation'' of native american land has resulted in once proud tribes such as the lakota becoming mere "facsimiles of white people,'' said means.. oppression at the hands of the u.s. government has taken its toll on the lakota, whose men have one of the shortest life expectancies - less than 44 years - in the world.. lakota teen suicides are 150 per cent above the norm for the u.s.; infant mortality is five times higher than the u.s. average; and unemployment is rife, according to the lakota freedom movement's website..
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Mincan
Tecumseh, a Shawnee chief in the early 1800's tried to get the other tribes to unify to fight back against the newly formed american government , even enlisting the aid of the British in one battle , but the British chickened out, backed off, and Tecumseh and the other tribes could not withstand the onslaught of the american government . It is in the history books.
This is true. I'd like to add that the Native Americans under Tecumseh allied themselves to the British/Canadian forces in the War of 1812 and without them many of the British and Canadian wins may not have happened. When Sir Isaac Brock captured Fort Detroit in 1812 one of the main reasons the American commander William Hull surrendered the fort (with twice the amount of regulars than the British under Brock's Command, about 1000 to 2000) without a fight was his fear of the Natives that were aligned with Brock (Brock only had about 400 with him, but he made them continually walk in a line through the trees in sight of the fort so it appeared that there were more of them) would slaughter the inhabitants of the fort if they did not surrender.
The Battle of Queenston Heights, one of the most important Canadian victories of that first year of the war, also relied heavily on Native assistance, albeit local Native help from the Six Nations Natives that were living in the Grand River area of modern day southern Ontario. Natives under Joseph Brant (A Scots-Native) assisted the flanking manuvers of Major-General Roger Hale Sheaffe, who had taken command of the British regulars and Canadian militia after Sir Isaac Brock died trying to storm the heights after the Americans had captured the Redan Battery atop it.
The next year, in 1813, the Natives heavily assisted General Procter and his British forces at the Bombardment of Fort Meigs, although this Fort withstood the assault of the Royal Artillery (quite admirably! thousands of cannon balls hit the fort but it was built well into earthworks), there was still several victories on this campaign, such as the River Raisin and Frenchtown assualts. Unfortunately for Tecumseh and the Natives, this Campaign ended in the British withdrawing from the far numerically superior American forces under William Henry Harrison (later President of the United States) and his Kentucky Cavalry (1000 strong) (Populations of the US at this time was 8 million, population of Upper Canada was about 300,000, and 500,000 in Lower Canada, the US had virtually unlimited resources (just research the warship building and arms race on the Great Lakes at the time!) whereas the British were reluctant to send military assistance as they were heavily involved fighting Napoleon on the European continent, mainly Wellington's Campaign in Spain). The Battle Mr. Flipper was referring to was the Battle of Moraviantown (known as the Battle of the Thames to Americans) where the Kentucky Cavalry charged the British line, who hardly fired a volley before retreating under Procter's orders. Tecumseh and his Natives continued fighting the cavalry and American regulars in the woods by themselves - a lost cause. This was around November 5 1813 I believe, could have the month day wrong...?
It's truly sad both Brock and Tecumseh died, they both admired each other abundantly, and Brock had the British promise the Natives their own soveriegn nation (what was then the Michigan Territory, now the State of Michigan) should the British win the war. As we know, the Treaty of Ghent (Dec 24 1814) returned everything to the status quo prior to the war, and even though the British had captured Detroit (the only American city in history post-Revolution to be captured and occupied successfully; The British did capture Baltimore and Washington, but these were briefly near the end of the war) and the Michigan Territory was under their control, this was returned to American control.
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Personal Development Milestone
by Mincan inhere's where i'm at presently, this has happened within the last two weeks and seems to get stronger.. - i see my life more objectively, and it doesn't bother me much.. - i don't care to read about religion, what's wrong with it, etc (i know it is and i don't feel that i need to keep preoccupying my mind with it).
- i don't feel any anger or hostility towards jws or the wts in particular.. - i don't feel like my life was stolen from me, cause, you know, i was there, i lived it.
(as i've mentioned before, lived it pretty damn well i have to admit compared with billions of other humans).
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Mincan
Thank you for these great replies folks.
Changeling - I hope to do just that!
Cog - I have noticed that, and the more time went on, the more it bothered me to see people so far into their lives seemingly no different from myself, and I didn't want to end up there.
A&W - Don't worry, I'll be there soon, then you can hug me till I'm blue!
JK666 - I look forward to meeting and chatting with you too later on in the month.
Mr. and Mrs. Flipper - Without sounding too heavy, if it's possible, I think it's safe to say I might not be alive today if it wasn't for you two. You two should be so proud of yourselves for being such good altruistic people. A wonderful fantasy would be a world full of Flippers!
Pioneer Spit - I'm glad if my post can help you reduce your negativity.
Bobbi - Thank you so much.
Eclipse - So true, we move on. I have looked right through it and it no longer brings any discomfort. It can only bring happiness now, there is nothing there for me to feel angry or bitter about I have decided.
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Personal Development Milestone
by Mincan inhere's where i'm at presently, this has happened within the last two weeks and seems to get stronger.. - i see my life more objectively, and it doesn't bother me much.. - i don't care to read about religion, what's wrong with it, etc (i know it is and i don't feel that i need to keep preoccupying my mind with it).
- i don't feel any anger or hostility towards jws or the wts in particular.. - i don't feel like my life was stolen from me, cause, you know, i was there, i lived it.
(as i've mentioned before, lived it pretty damn well i have to admit compared with billions of other humans).
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Mincan
Here's where I'm at presently, this has happened within the last two weeks and seems to get stronger.
- I see my life more objectively, and it doesn't bother me much.
- I don't care to read about religion, what's wrong with it, etc (I know it is and I don't feel that I need to keep preoccupying my mind with it)
- I don't feel any anger or hostility towards JWs or the WTS in particular.
- I don't feel like my life was stolen from me, cause, you know, I was there, I lived it. (As I've mentioned before, lived it pretty damn well I have to admit compared with billions of other humans)
- I see the good that has come from my JW upbringing
- I'm allowing my mother back into my life and not shutting her out. Nor to I feel any bitterness or anger towards her anymore for what she did. I love her very much and she did what she had to do and what she thought was right.
- I can't regret the experiences that have made me who I am, none of us can, that is pointless.
- I have no intention of any more pranks, jokes, spying, or otherwise counter-watchtower society activities.
- If a JW wants to talk to/associate/hang out with me, that's great, give everyone a chance, but religion will be off limits. If they want to bring it up (as they invariably will, and again, it's their mindset, not the person in particular) then that will be it for our relationship. I will extend the same courtesy and not bring up pedophile/etc topics.
- I no longer tell people I was a JW. It doesn't mean anything anymore that they would need to know it. That mindset no longer dominates my thinking or actions I carry out, so people don't need to be "forewarned".
- I am more assertive/self preservating all around, so I can take responsibility for my own social ****-ups and not blame them on my JW upbringing, afterall, if you don't make a fool out of yourself, you will never have any fun.
- I've had existential crises, and I know I'll have them again, but I've moved past the point where I absolutely feel with my being that I must replace what I've lost with a new ontology.
- Time to move on!
I'm thrilled to be at this point. I knew it would come eventually, but I thought it would take another year or more. People that rant and rave about the witnesses just annoy me now. It doesn't help anything. I know it is a very very crucial stage for one to go through though, so I am respectful and polite while listening to these rants, but I will avoid association with someone whose sole conversation is reminiscing about JW days for humour or bitching.
The next stage will probably be that of wanting to help newly ousted ones.
Feel free to critique my writing here or share your own thoughts on your "Personal Development." Althought keep in mind that is not the purpose of the thread, as there is another one with that purpose that I myself have already commented on and which quasi-inspired this thread.
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Things to NEVER say to or Do with a jw...........
by nomoreguilt ini'll start with "never do business with a jw".
they will take advantage of you, "but brother".
they will use your good credit, your good name, and then beg off on any deal you might have had, legal or on their word........................whose next?.
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Mincan
I'd probably avoid saying anything that would offend them. They are afterall people too. I am always willing to hang out with JWs, JWs just aren't willing to hang out with me.