Posts by FreeWilly

137

Climate Change. Yes the science is settled.

by mavie in

the science is settled.

special interests do not want you to think that it is.

"in a candid memo about political strategy for republican leaders, pollster frank luntz expressed concern that voters might punish candidates who supported more pollution, but he offered advice on the key tactic for defusing the issue: "should the public come to believe that the scientific issues are settled, their views about global warming will change accordingly.

FreeWilly

I read where a 100 mile by 100 mile square area in the US desert could provide all the necessary energy for the entire country.

Wishful thinking.

The most advanced and largest Solar installation in the world is in the Mojave Desert. (SEGS). It covers 1600 acres (2.5 sq mi) and has a peak output of 324 Mw. For comparison, the state of California averages ~40,000Mw of electricity each day.

So, if the facility size were expanded by 150x (375 sq miles or 240,000 acres) you would begin to supply the State of California on a given day during peak conditions (4 hrs a day).

Despite this massive array you would still need 100% backup capacity (i.e. backup power plants) to supplement for non peak times of the day - morning, evening & nightime.

Consider too the environmental implications of such an enormouse land area occupied by an industrial complex.

Additionally the manufacturing process uses heavy metals and nasty chemicals and requires a large energy input.

There's a reason that Solar generated electricity is not more widely used. It must be heavily subsidized to approach affordability. Even then, what exactly are you gaining?

137

Climate Change. Yes the science is settled.

by mavie in

the science is settled.

special interests do not want you to think that it is.

"in a candid memo about political strategy for republican leaders, pollster frank luntz expressed concern that voters might punish candidates who supported more pollution, but he offered advice on the key tactic for defusing the issue: "should the public come to believe that the scientific issues are settled, their views about global warming will change accordingly.

FreeWilly

CO2 comprises a scant fraction of Earths Gases (0.04%)

As a Greenhouse gas, anthropogenic CO2 is equally diminimus, totaling merely 0.28% - link

At our current 380ppm, CO2 is near its ALL TIME HISTORICAL LOW in Earth's history. - link

Earth has endured ice ages at CO2 concentrations over 10x as high as they are now!

The Sun's current output is at a 1000yr high - link

Historically, CO2 has risen following global temperature increase, acting more as an effect of warming rather than a cause.- link

Future warming, ocean rise, droughts and extreme weather are dire predictions based on computer models that cannot even predict the past! - link

But I digress. The science is settled. Critical scientists are being bought by oil companies (because we know Big Oil fears people will soon stop using their product.... yeah they lay awake at night fretting about that)

Void, care to substantiate your claim of Lizden being funded by Oil companies for his comments?

297

BETHELITES - Whatever Became of?

by Black Man in

jw
friends

i often times wonder what happened to certain bethelites that i ran around with during my 1990s tenure there.

while there are still a few left there, the greater majority of them aren't there for various reasons (marriage, disillusionment, left the borg, etc).

a couple of cats i wonder about - there was one brother who i believe was from kansas, who got his fingers cut off in a printing press.

FreeWilly

I recognize a few from the Farm:

Doug Bean, Frank Dematis, Geoff Hearney, Chris Doro, Butch and Sheri Brainard, Ken Johnson

I also remember Peter krolczyk, Jim & leslie abrams and a few more...

131

Why are we telling Iran they can't have nukes?

by mavie in

jw
friends

watching the democratic debates i was struck how every candidate, save dennis kucinich, pledged to prevent iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

iran is a sovereign state, diplomacy which ends in 'you can't have this, but we can' will not work.

what would happen if another country told us we couldn't have nukes?

FreeWilly

It just appears hypocritical for "nuclear" nations to tell other sovereign states that they can't join the club.

I'd agree, it is hypocritical. Unfortunately history shows that civilization is far from altruistic so the US won't reliquish their nukes for fear of Russia, who won't reliquish their nukes for fear of China, who won't reliquish their nukes for fear of the US.

However, none of the above want nukes in the hands of Islamawhacko's. Better to live with the hypocrisy than a crater, eh?

How can this be dealt with diplomatically?

Isn't that what's happening now? The real question is what to do if/when diplomacy fails. Care to weigh in on that?

47

Linguistic Scholar Chomsky: "Manufacturing Consent" (about news media)

by frankiespeakin in

jw
friends

"manufacturing consent" explores the the propaganda model of the corporate owned news media:.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5631882395226827730&q=chomsky&total=2145&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=8 .

FreeWilly

FS: "I don't think your link gave very much evidence for what RD is saying. If you consider it as evidence pehaps you need to look a little closer than just a cursory glance."

Regarding Chomsky's published apologetic views of Pol Pot's regime, the link provided the following citations of Chomsky et.al.:

"journals as the Far Eastern Economic Review, the London Economist, the Melbourne Journal of Politics, and others elsewhere, have provided analyses by highly qualified specialists who have studied the full range of evidence available, and who concluded that executions have numbered at most in the thousands; that these were localized in areas of limited Khmer Rouge influence and unusual peasant discontent, where brutal revenge killings were aggravated by the threat of starvation resulting from the American destruction and killing."

"But if postwar Cambodia is more similar to France after liberation, where many thousands of people were massacred within a few months under far less rigorous conditions than those left by the American war, then perhaps a rather different judgement is in order."

I consider these direct citations (and a slew of others in the article) as "supporting evidence to [the] rhetoric" don't you? Sure they might not complement his political assertions, but surely you are not suggestion these are fabrications are you? Perhaps you can set the record straight for me.

Speaking of fabrications, what do you make of Chomsky's fabricated and contextually innaccurate quotations in support of his anti-american view? (Pres. Truman, Sam Huntington, etc) Doesn't this strike you as intellectual dishonest?

What I see is a man who tries to parlay his academic acheivements to legitimize his extreme political leanings. His desperation is readily apparent in his readiness to misquote and sometimes even fabricate citations of others. The bias is so extreme as to render him unreliable for anything outside his narrow field of study.

Now go ahead, tell me how I have it all wrong.

47

Linguistic Scholar Chomsky: "Manufacturing Consent" (about news media)

by frankiespeakin in

jw
friends

"manufacturing consent" explores the the propaganda model of the corporate owned news media:.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5631882395226827730&q=chomsky&total=2145&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=8 .

FreeWilly

Give a little supporting evidence to your rhetoric please.

Perhaps I can help: CLICK HERE

11

The FDS and its GB

by Doug Mason in

i have just released version 1 of my study, the faithful and discreet slave and its governing body at.

http://au.geocities.com/doug_mason1940/fds_and_its_gb.pdf.

it provides an objective analysis of the governing body (gb).. study outline.

FreeWilly

Nice format, good graphics and an excellent treatment of the subject. I like the parallels to ancient Jewish communities. I think a better summary of all the information would tie it all together nicely and leave the reader with something.

Some additional points I would add would be:

In the section dealing with the Society as God's Sole channel of communicion: They claim an exclusive audience with Jehovah where divine direction is dispensed to the FDS which is in stark contrast to their record of erroneous, retracted teachings, predictions and doctrinal flip-flops. A few that come to mind are:

1) The identity of the "King of the North" is The Papacy, then the Nazi Regime, then the Soviet Bloc, and now who knows?

2) The 1260 Days mentioned in Daniel ch 12 means interpretation A, then interpretation B, then back to Interpretation A, and now interpretation C.

3) And of course the litany of false doomsdays predicted over the years.

All of this belies the claim of divine direction.

If I may suggest another point, the Society's claims of the historicity of the FDS compared with the actual historical record are extremely doubtful. For example:

1) The claim that the FDS existed unbroken from the time of Jesus until today.

Who was the FDS before Russel? Did Russell consult this FDS or did he just create his own new religious following?
Who was the FDS 500, 1000 or 1500 years ago? Where's the proof of this claim?
Why wasn't the FDS chosen by Jehovah to establish the Bible canon we have today instead of the Catholic Church in the 4th and 5th centuries C.E.?. What was the FDS doing then? Isn't it inconsistant to claim the FDS is responsible for spiritual truths yet in this instance an apostate organization was employed for this most sacred of duties?

Great Job,

-FW

14

Hi everyone.. I need some advice...!!!

by Redbeard in

hey!

i'm new to this forum as a user, 'been hanging around for a while and enjoyed reading the posts here, .

this site has provided a lot of confidence and encouragement to me through harsh times.

FreeWilly

No easy answers here.

Leaving the JW's will almost certainly cause you to lose your JW friends. There's just no way around it. Relations with Family still in will always be tenuous. Some handle it better than others. Making new friends is probably going to be a little challenging for a while because you are still settling into you new skin. It's just the way it goes. You can't walk away from group such as the JW's completely unscathed.

The good news is that you are young and the best part of your life awaits you. Many here have pissed good portions of their lives away before realizing the JW's are crack-pots. Consider yourself lucky. You will appreciate your new life much more though, especially as time goes on.

Good luck,

FW

39

Need LOGICAL PRESENTATION that FDS is BS- talk w/2 elders wanting to help

by AWAKE&WATCHING in

jw
friends

my best friend showed up where i work to see what's going on with me.

i haven't called her since she told an elder at my hall that i was falling out of the truth, little does she know i've fallen and i don't want to get up.. i told her i had now done my research and i absolutely don't believe it.

she said she didn't want to hear my apostate stuff.

FreeWilly

When they come back with their illogical replies be sure to impress upon them just how ridiculous and cultish their thinking is. Mentally, true-blue JW's will contort any logic that threatens their beliefs. Be brave and call them out on it.

i.e.

"Are you kidding me?!"

"Do you expect a rational person to believe that?"

"Do you actually believe what you are saying, or is that merely the best excuse you can come up with?"

One suggestion for wrapping it it: "Gentlemen, after everything we've considered I think you have to ask yourselves , do you really think God wants to kill 99.9% of mankind simply because they refuse to follow a religion known throughout the world for its failed doomsday predictions and molester coverups?"

Oh yeah.... Be sure to let us know how it goes.

39

Need LOGICAL PRESENTATION that FDS is BS- talk w/2 elders wanting to help

by AWAKE&WATCHING in

jw
friends

my best friend showed up where i work to see what's going on with me.

i haven't called her since she told an elder at my hall that i was falling out of the truth, little does she know i've fallen and i don't want to get up.. i told her i had now done my research and i absolutely don't believe it.

she said she didn't want to hear my apostate stuff.

FreeWilly

Here are a couple of FDS topics that hit home with me.

God has always had an organization (the FDS)

If this is true, who did Charles Taze Russell learn the truth from? Was it the FDS before him?

If this is true why did Jehoobah entrust the Catholic Church to decide the Bible Canon? Shouldn't that have been the FDS job?

If this is true, who was the FDS 500 years ago? 1000 years ago?

Ask: Can you name any christian group in history before Russell who were the FDS?

The Annointed Remnant (FDS) is directed by Jehoobah

Ask if God really does guide the annointed remnant? If so, how do the annointed remnant communicate with Brooklyn so that their insight is included into the publications?

The reality is that Brooklyn is in charge and the annointed remnant ( the old "annointed ones' scattered throughout the worlds congregations) have no input at all into what is published. In fact this annointed remnant learned about doctrinal changes - such as the new interpretation of a "generation" - just like the rest of JW's... when the received their WT in the mail! Just ask any dear old annointed one if they have any say in Brooklyn - It's a sham.

False predictions (remember to say "predictions", not prophecy)

If the FDS is directed by Jehoobah, how did they come up with all of these false dates and teachings? If they didn't come from God then who?

It's a Parable!!

And Finally, have them open up to the scripture and simply read it. It talks about a slave who could do good, or bad and gives a lesson for each choice. No "class" of people mentioned. No dual meaning.

Ask them why none of the other Bible writers referred to themselves or this scripture in this manner?

-FW