Posts by Locutus of Borg

20

My Anti-Kult Toastmasters Speech . .

by Locutus of Borg in

i am an active member of toastmasters international.

i find that it has helped me to be polished and professional when dealing with my employers clients, many of whom are mid to high ranking us air force officers and upper level ny/ nj state government people.. i occasionally use the toastmasters forum to educate people about cults.

toastmaster clubs are typically made up of local industry, technology, business and local government leaders and professionals.

Locutus of Borg

cognizant dissident, I love the play on words you used for your handle! Very original and creative, but oh so true. That would describe most of us here, wouldn't it?

nvrgnbk, I agree!! A premium Bourbon is the ONLY way to make a Manhatten!

ithinkisee, metaphors can be a very powerful communications and visualization tool, but only if the hearer is cognizant and educated enough to understand them. Unfortunately I truly believe that the above speech would fly right over the heads of most dubs, with the exception of the direct references to the kult. They would not understand most of the metaphors. Sad.

For those of you who have not read "Invictus" by William Henley, it is a must read for any exiting jw. Reading it for the first time a few years after my exit was an epiphnous moment in my life. I also closed my first anti-kult speech by reciting it to the audience.

What I find interesting is that as I progress forward this poem has less emotional impact for me than it did seven or eight years ago. It was like a punch in the gut the first time. I take this as a sign of healing.

I have included it below for your pleasure . .

"Invictus" by William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of Circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of Chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

20

My Anti-Kult Toastmasters Speech . .

by Locutus of Borg in

i am an active member of toastmasters international.

i find that it has helped me to be polished and professional when dealing with my employers clients, many of whom are mid to high ranking us air force officers and upper level ny/ nj state government people.. i occasionally use the toastmasters forum to educate people about cults.

toastmaster clubs are typically made up of local industry, technology, business and local government leaders and professionals.

Locutus of Borg

Thank you, bikerchic, I hope that's a Manhatten (one of my favorite indulgences) in that glass!! LOL!

26

Higher education ban busting at the seems ?

by 5go in

i know of alot of brothers and sisters in my congregation deciding to get at least two years in.

some have certificates and regret it and are going back for mainly money reasons.. me i got a certificate in a area and i am going back to get a real degree.

preferably in a diffrent field.. what is it like where your at ?.

Locutus of Borg

The kults spin on the scripture about "not hiding your light under a basket" comes to mind. The kult interprets that as spending your time pedaling their cheap pulp fiction (cough "bullshit" cough) at the doors.

About a year before my exit I told an elder (lower case e on purpose) that my interpretation of that scripture was that it was a sin if you did not develop or follow any natural talents that you had, whether it was (in my case) music, engineering, speaking, growing roses, whatever. That God gave us intellect to be used to its fullest capacity and that in most cases that required at least a 4 year college education. Well, that went over like a screen door in a submarine.

At that time I had taken up the guitar again after giving it up 30 years earlier at the insistence of father and elders. My particular interest was roots music, classic rock, and most of all, the blues. After making the point that King Solomon employed thousands of musicians, that elders wife spat out venomously "Don't you know that the blues is the most immoral music ever written!!" in front of everyone after the SM one night. I looked her right in the eye, stunned, and actaully laughed out loud, loudly, while walking away.

Just some rambling thoughts that may or may not apply to higher education and using the intellect and gifts you were born with.

Peace \/

20

My Anti-Kult Toastmasters Speech . .

by Locutus of Borg in

i am an active member of toastmasters international.

i find that it has helped me to be polished and professional when dealing with my employers clients, many of whom are mid to high ranking us air force officers and upper level ny/ nj state government people.. i occasionally use the toastmasters forum to educate people about cults.

toastmaster clubs are typically made up of local industry, technology, business and local government leaders and professionals.

Locutus of Borg

Indeed, the sun also rises.

Thanks again SB. I may be giving a version of this speech at a Toastmasters International competition in September.

27

MOUTHY'S DAUGHTER.....

by Mary in

jw
friends

i just received a call from mouthy regarding her daughter's biopsy (for those of you who didn't know, she had a lump in her breast that they took out).

it is benign, not malignant!!

she's so busy with getting ready to move and company that she just didn't have time to post, but she really wanted to thank everyone for their help.

Locutus of Borg

Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

woohoo! (homer simpson style!!)

5

a cave of robbers

by + in

a cave of robbers.

Locutus of Borg

Daniel Dafoe, one of my favorite actors. Wish I sprechen Deutsche.

124

Disgusting comment re: education from Tacoma 2007 District Convention

by Justitia Themis in

this is from saturday afternoon program.

the speaker first starts with what he called the "alphabet soup" of degrees....a.a., b.a., m.a., ph.d., etc.

; he said they were nothing more than "sheepskins on the wall.

Locutus of Borg

What a f**king moron.

Just before i left the kult, a mouthbreathing, outwardly homophobic, body builder, narcistic, closet case elder , B. C., told me that just because I had a college degree (AEE at the time) that he was not intimidated by me at all. This guy was a case. I could do pages just on him.

My education is what saved my life. It gave me the self esteem and critical thinking abilities to get out. Even so, there were some very black times in my life.

The last conversation I had with my elder father, 9 years ago, one of the things I laid out for him was the '68 Awake comments about higher education. Until then he had always denied that fact. I obtained an actual copy of the mag and sent him a copy.

I still get angry talking about these things.

20

My Anti-Kult Toastmasters Speech . .

by Locutus of Borg in

i am an active member of toastmasters international.

i find that it has helped me to be polished and professional when dealing with my employers clients, many of whom are mid to high ranking us air force officers and upper level ny/ nj state government people.. i occasionally use the toastmasters forum to educate people about cults.

toastmaster clubs are typically made up of local industry, technology, business and local government leaders and professionals.

Locutus of Borg

Thanks Gopher, I searched and searched for that and could not find it. I am still finding my way around this board.

Snowbird, thanks for plating that metphor in my head . .

20

My Anti-Kult Toastmasters Speech . .

by Locutus of Borg in

i am an active member of toastmasters international.

i find that it has helped me to be polished and professional when dealing with my employers clients, many of whom are mid to high ranking us air force officers and upper level ny/ nj state government people.. i occasionally use the toastmasters forum to educate people about cults.

toastmaster clubs are typically made up of local industry, technology, business and local government leaders and professionals.

Locutus of Borg

quandry, thank you. This was an addendum, the prologue, an update to my icebreaker speech I gave ayear ago introducing myself. That (My Icebreaker or first speech) was supposed to be a 4 to 6 minute speech, I went 16 minutes with no complaints and nothing but praise. That one was entitled "When I was 5 Years Old I was placed in a Box. I spent 37 Years In That Box. I have Recently Gotten Out". I ended that speech by reciting Henlys' "Invictus". As you can guess from the title, I detailed my growing up in and getting out of the kult. The Toastmaster District Rep was there and he practically begged me to take this speech on the road in the Toastmasters Competitions. He said it was Nationals material. I declined because it was too personal at the time and very emotionally charged for me. I kind of backed off from Toastmasters for a while after that to regroup. Now I am back with a vengeance. The speech I posted was my 5th and the first time since my icebreaker that I dealt with my experiences with "The Lie"

This one went over extremely well also, and there were a few in attendence who had heard my first one. But there was no doubt that they knew who I was talking about. Unfortunately I had an important meeting directly afterwards and had to bolt. A few days later the Director of Engineering (my Manager, who is also a member) told me that he had heard nothing nut kudos for the speech from all who attended. The assumption was that I bolted after the meeting because of the emotional charge of the speech, but that was not so as he explained to the other members that I had another obligation.

Junction Guy, thanks

Primate Dave, Thanks

Peace \/

20

My Anti-Kult Toastmasters Speech . .

by Locutus of Borg in

i am an active member of toastmasters international.

i find that it has helped me to be polished and professional when dealing with my employers clients, many of whom are mid to high ranking us air force officers and upper level ny/ nj state government people.. i occasionally use the toastmasters forum to educate people about cults.

toastmaster clubs are typically made up of local industry, technology, business and local government leaders and professionals.

Locutus of Borg

Oh, need to add that I got the "Crossing The Rubicon" metaphor from someone here a few weeks ago. It inspired me to write this speech. Whoever you are. . . Thanks!!!