Posts by Captain Schmideo2

32

Scary Effectiveness of Assembly Videos

by Captain Schmideo2 in

jw
friends

well, i got to see the final day of this years regional convention.and i saw something that disturbs me.. the final, "summing up review" video.

it disturbs me because it was so well done.

(i wish i could remember the title of the song), to the strains of a solo vocalist singing in a fine "irish tenor", we see the actors from the previous videos of the last few days all assembling together in a clearing.

Captain Schmideo2

Well, I got to see the final day of this years Regional Convention.

And I saw something that disturbs me.

The final, "summing up review" video.

It disturbs me because it was so well done.

(I wish I could remember the title of the song), to the strains of a solo vocalist singing in a fine "Irish Tenor", we see the actors from the previous videos of the last few days all assembling together in a clearing. Look! There's that kid who was terrified of that study picture, worried that when the day came, he would be standing unprotected! Look! There's that Asian sister who was always so driven by her business concerns until she saw what was right! And that lady with cancer! And even flashes to the video of the unfortunate young girl who died from a terminal disease!

All the living characters are grouped together, looking resolute and confident, as, out of the misty forest, running in slow motion, are sinister men, wearing military camo and balaclavas, armed with assault weapons, bearing down by the thousands on this tiny little group! It looks like it's curtains!
But then! The clouds open! And a Heavenly Host breaks through the sky, shining in golden light, and there, at the head, is Jesus/Michael, bow in hand, as he draw it back, with a razor sharp arrow aiming at those that would do harm to his people, and then you see those scary military types bathed in a brilliant light, as the full chorus of the music swells, and thunderous, long applause from the crowd at the convention (I half expected a standing ovation!).
And it just now hit me:A lot of the people in the audience, at long last, got to see the final stand of Helm's Deep from The Two Towers, but redone for this video! (https://youtu.be/51oEk21ax5A?t=3m16s)

Anyway, it was rousing, it was well executed, it was terrifying. The Borg has finally perfected their propaganda machine. The next few years of conventions will only get more polished.

Anyone else seen this yet?

7

75 years ago Tomorrow

by snugglebunny in

fantastic!

but why being shown in 4k for only 1 day?.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btnda1azf2c.

Captain Schmideo2

Just saw this a few months back, for the first time (I live in the US, so it's not a yearly broadcast film like it is in the UK).
Really enjoyed it. Part science and engineering procedural, part war film. Love the score for the film. And rumor has it that some movie in 1977 stole major sequences from it! :)

9

The Face of Jesus (in the wood grain of a grandfather clock)

by TerryWalstrom in

jw
friends

a couple of years past retirement, i moved into a "retirement community" (i.e.

old folks home) which was convenient like a hotel.. once a week there would be a coffee and doughnuts meet and greet get-together so you would know who your neighbors were.. well .

.. i went to few and missed a few.

Captain Schmideo2

Also, your story reminded me of "The Emperor's New Clothes". And yes, that is probably how Christianity began, that's probably how RELIGION began.
My theory about religions is it began because, way back in the primitive times, the tribe had hunters, gatherers, cooks, weavers, builders, tool makers, and then there was some guy who couldn't do jack. Had no useful skills except gab and tall-tales. So, they kept him around to entertain, and he created all these stories about the unexplained phenomena of weather, the stars, death, etc, and eventually became the priest.

9

The Face of Jesus (in the wood grain of a grandfather clock)

by TerryWalstrom in

jw
friends

a couple of years past retirement, i moved into a "retirement community" (i.e.

old folks home) which was convenient like a hotel.. once a week there would be a coffee and doughnuts meet and greet get-together so you would know who your neighbors were.. well .

.. i went to few and missed a few.

Captain Schmideo2

Old Henny Youngman joke:
At a Seniors Home:

Lady: "You're new here! Where were you before you came to live here?"
New Guy: "I was in prison for 35 years, for murdering my wife."
Lady: "Oh! So, you're single?"

7

countdown to darkness

by waton in

if you want to experience the impact of an historic event, go and visit the next stark darkening, the eclipse in 2024. to be precise, ~1969 days away.

the countdown also will take you, like an anti-daily text, through wt history as a retro prophecy a day for a year.

ha ha.

Captain Schmideo2

I saw the one last year in 2017, in Columbia, Missouri. It was a truly emotional event, I watched with a 'great crowd' of people gathered in a spirit of peace and shared joy in such an awesome spectacle. I can't wait until the next one!

42

Famous last words spoken by every jdub at one time or another

by nowwhat? in

"oh i'm not going to worry about it, armageddon will be here by then!".

-including me.

Captain Schmideo2

"This system CAN'T last much longer, it just can't!" - Now deceased...

32

Movie-goers can be fickle (great movies that should've enjoyed huge box-office success)

by LoveUniHateExams in

just thought i'd start a thread about this topic.. john carpenter's the thing (1982) was a great film, one of his best imo.

for me, it's right up there with alien (1979) as one of the greatest sci-fi horror films ever made.

and yet one film made anything between $100 - 200 million at the box office whereas the other made only $19 million.

Captain Schmideo2

LoveUniHateExams-Fright Night- It's still hard to believe that the cute girlfriend (who looked so SMOKIN' ! in that negligee!) is the same actress who would later be Marcy D'Arcy in "Married with Children"!

32

Movie-goers can be fickle (great movies that should've enjoyed huge box-office success)

by LoveUniHateExams in

just thought i'd start a thread about this topic.. john carpenter's the thing (1982) was a great film, one of his best imo.

for me, it's right up there with alien (1979) as one of the greatest sci-fi horror films ever made.

and yet one film made anything between $100 - 200 million at the box office whereas the other made only $19 million.

Captain Schmideo2

Agree with you about Near Dark. The cast is almost a who's who of James Cameron's stable of actors (it also features Jeanette Goldstein, who has been in Aliens, Titanic, and T2.) It was directed by Katherine Bigelow (who later married Cameron).

It was originally supposed to be a Western, and I can see how it would have worked as such. I guess Jesse (the leader) had been around since the American Civil War, so he had been cruising the Wild West for many decades.

It was much better than Lost Boys.

5

So, I went to another funeral today (contrast/compare)

by Captain Schmideo2 in

jw
friends

a couple of months ago, i posted this:https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/6294482023612416/went-memorial-service-man-have-known-since-childhoodin one of those weird twists of fate, about three weeks ago, this individuals first wife (who left him in a spectacular fit of drama) met her own end by violent means at the hand of her latest boyfriend.since she was disfellowshipped at the time of her death, of course, they couldn't have a service in the kingdom hall, so it was held instead today at a funeral home.and amazingly, it was a much better service.non witnesses seemed to out number the witnesses that showed up (i was surprised as many showed up as they did, considering tonight is the memorial!).

the talk was given by her son in law, and a remembrance was also given by her brother, who in turn read a memory from one of her co-workers.

after that, a prayer.

Captain Schmideo2

Diogenesister Thanks for the feedback on my analogy.

I remember years ago, an elder gave an illustration. I found out he stole it from a Jack Finney story (summary below)

"Of Missing Persons"
What happened to Judge Crater and Ambrose Bierce? Charlie Ewell thinks he found out. What seems fascinating and possible after a couple of beers and late in the evening seems quite different in the bright light of the next day. But, Charlie is curious, so he decides to visit the Acme Travel Bureau anyway. If they decide he's the "right type," they will bring out a folder from beneath the counter, a folder they just made up as a joke. It's about a trip, one-way, to a planet called Verna. Why go to Verna?

Life is simple there, and it's serene. In someways, the good ways, it's like the early pioneering communities here in your country, but without the drudgery that kill people young. There is electricity. There are washing machines, vacuum cleaners, plumbing, modern bathrooms, and modern medicine, very modern. but there are no radios, television, telephones or automobiles. Distances are small. and people live and work in small communities. They raise or make most of the things they use. Every man builds his own house, with all the help he needs from his neighbors. Their recreation is their own, and there is a great deal of it, but there is no recreation for sale, nothing you buy a ticket to. They have dances, card parties, wedding, christenings, birthday celebrations harvest parties. There are swimming and sports of all kinds. There is conversation, a lot of it, plenty of joking and laughter. There is a great deal of visiting and sharing of meals and each day is well filled and well spent. There are no pressures, economic or social, and life holds few threats. Every man, woman,and child is a happy person.

It almost sounds too good to be true, and that's what bothers Charlie.

Of course, Charlie goes to the waiting station, a barn outside of town, where he waits with others for the transporter to take them to Verna. But, after a period of delay, he gets impatient, feels like the whole thing is a big prank, and walks out.
And of course, 5 seconds later, the rest of the group is beamed away. And he blew his only chance.

And that's the point the brother made, that we must be patient or we will lose our chance.

Or, borrowing my analogy, we could be waiting at the bus stop until we die, and so will our progeny.

5

So, I went to another funeral today (contrast/compare)

by Captain Schmideo2 in

jw
friends

a couple of months ago, i posted this:https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/6294482023612416/went-memorial-service-man-have-known-since-childhoodin one of those weird twists of fate, about three weeks ago, this individuals first wife (who left him in a spectacular fit of drama) met her own end by violent means at the hand of her latest boyfriend.since she was disfellowshipped at the time of her death, of course, they couldn't have a service in the kingdom hall, so it was held instead today at a funeral home.and amazingly, it was a much better service.non witnesses seemed to out number the witnesses that showed up (i was surprised as many showed up as they did, considering tonight is the memorial!).

the talk was given by her son in law, and a remembrance was also given by her brother, who in turn read a memory from one of her co-workers.

after that, a prayer.

Captain Schmideo2

I guess the point I was trying to make in all this murky water, was that the funeral you get "outside" is much better than the one you get "inside". Not that it matters much to the dead person, but when family members are in grief and pain, a more personal experience would be welcome (IMHO).