GrreatTeacher

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Posts by GrreatTeacher

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  7

  Star Wars VS Caleb and Sophia

  by PaintedToeNail in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i took my girls to star wars last night, their inebriated father came along.

  the girls absolutely loved it.

  all the way home they were asking questions about the force and leia and han, luke and so on.

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  GrreatTeacher

  What an astute child! When I was 8 I don't know if I would've picked up on the undertone of guilt.

  Also, light sabers are the coolest!
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  25

  When did district conventions become regional conventions and why?

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i think it was gary and heather bottings' book the orwellian world of jehovah's wifnesses that noted the function of the habit of the watchtower organisation of changing organisational terminology periodically.

  congregations became companies and then back to congregations again.

  circuit overseers became circuit servants and then back again.

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  GrreatTeacher

  "Shibboleth" - a word or pronunciation that distinguishes people of one group or class from those of another.

  Other definitions extend it to patterns of dress or behavior.

  Great JW appropriate new vocabulary word!
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  10

  Merry Christmas!

  by lambsbottom in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  wow, 4 years!

  it has been a real journey.

  going from a devout jw, to having a close call with a loved one possibly needing a transfusion, to researching the heck out of everything, to letting it rest and go back to sleep for a while, to moving states and almost going crazy knowing all the bs they were speaking from the platform.

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  GrreatTeacher

  We have been glad to follow your fruitful journey, helping when asked.

  Pass it on!
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  33

  Today is Christmas, and guess what? Witnesses's were going house to house on my block, TODAY ON CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

  by Dunedain in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i kid you not!!!!!

  my family, and i, were on our way to my wife's brothers house today, which is the families christmas tradition.

  we open presents in the morning, and at around 10:30, we head over to my brother in laws for breakfast/brunch, with all the family.. so, as we loaded some presents up in the car, and we all jumped, and drove away, at the end of my block, jehovahs witnesses!

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  GrreatTeacher

  My family would never go because they thought it disrespectful. A few pioneers in our hall would go, though. Just not a big thing in the hall I grew up in.
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  12

  A Christmas tree, and a Word of Appreciation

  by Wonderment in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am looking right now at my 10 footer christmas tree.

  is "wonderment" celebrating christmas?

  i am not one of those individuals who dropped the wt agenda years ago to hop on the first bandwagon of worldly attractions to cross my path.

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  GrreatTeacher

  Fortunately, Wonderment, no one will be offended at the fact that you don't celebrate Christmas.

  If you don't feel the need, we love you just the same.

  You're finally free to do whatever feels best to you personally.

  And, I agree that this forum is wonderful and I'm very grateful for it as well.
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  20

  The worst gift of Christmas

  by GrreatTeacher in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  everybody gets one, the gift that stared up at you hopefully from its beautiful wrapping, and then, like a deflated balloon, delivers the worst gift ever.. i'm not talking about the gifts from small children like the "greatest aunt" coffee mug or the red and black lace folding fan.

  surely you never would have chosen them for yourself, but it's the thought that counts from small people who love you.. then, there's the what the hell were they thinking gifts.

  my mother-in-law has been giving these a lot lately.

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  GrreatTeacher

  Everybody gets one, the gift that stared up at you hopefully from its beautiful wrapping, and then, like a deflated balloon, delivers the worst gift ever.

  I'm not talking about the gifts from small children like the "Greatest Aunt" coffee mug or the red and black lace folding fan. Surely you never would have chosen them for yourself, but it's the thought that counts from small people who love you.

  Then, there's the what the hell were they thinking gifts. My mother-in-law has been giving these a lot lately. We got a glass platter back painted with "Merry Christmas Y'all! This is not the way people speak around here, so?

  However, the worst gift of Christmas this year with a mismatch between what a grandparent might give a teenage grandson and what said teenage grandson might like was given to my son by his grnadmother. It was in a big box, carefully taped, and when it was finally opened, my son had his very own, brand new BATH MAT! Yes, it was green and fuzzy and one would normally put it at the edge of the tub for stepping out of the tub with wet feet. However, grandmother thought that since my son often runs around the house with a fuzzy blanket or throw around his shoulders (we keep the house chilly) that he would now need something warm and fuzzy to sit on. So, he should place the fuzzy bath mat on his computer chair and then wrap his fuzzy blanket around his body for maximum warmth, and, so, he would not get hypothermic in our chilly house ( So, sue me. 68° is warm enough.)

  Have you ever just gotten a really bad gift, poorly thought out and not at all appropriate from the giver?

  What was the worst gift this Christmas? And are you taking it back?

  (the cat has comandeered the fuzzy bath mat, so no hopes of returning it for something different)
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  10

  Favourite Christmas presents!

  by nicolaou in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  my son bought me a 64gb micro sd card for my phone!

  "what kind of geeky xmas pressie is that nic?!

  " i hear you cry.

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  GrreatTeacher

  Yeah, one year I got a Dremel tool for the calluses on my feet from my husband.

  Oh, yes he did!

  Of course they make these pink pedicure foot smoothers which basically do the same thing without the possibility of sanding your skin off, but, no, Mr. Fixit was going for maximum versatility.

  Funny that it now lives in the toolshed...
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  48

  American accents, Bette Midler, Clinton, Rick Fearon, Strathclyde, Morningside

  by slimboyfat in

  1. social
  2. current

  i used to enjoy being able to distinguish different local accents, but for some reason i've got worse at it.

  i was thinking about this today when i was listening to bette midler on the scottish radio.

  i thought to myself i quite liked her accent and also that it reminded me of someone else.

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  GrreatTeacher

  Slimboyfat, yes, race has a lot to do with different accents in America. African American Vernacular is a distinct dialect in the US. If you hear this accent on the radio, for example, or on a TV when you're in another room, you know that it's an African American speaking. There are also some telltale vocabulary and sentence structure that, if you're in tune to that sort of thing, you can tell from their writing (such as on this forum) if the writer is African American.

  Here's the thing, though, most African Americans also speak the General American accent as well for formal use. Just like the local Baltimore accent (which is very working class)I wrote about earlier is often used informally, but then speakers switch over to General American for formal situations like work.

  So, if you hear a race or class based pattern, you can identify it, but Americans are also really good at switching over to the General American accent ( which often sounds midwestern) that just because you don't hear it doesn't mean that the speaker is definitely not African American for example, or working class.

  I can speak with an Eastern Shore twang when I'm home, but switch right over to the standardized General American accent when I'm teaching or at the grocery store or other more public place.
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  48

  American accents, Bette Midler, Clinton, Rick Fearon, Strathclyde, Morningside

  by slimboyfat in

  1. social
  2. current

  i used to enjoy being able to distinguish different local accents, but for some reason i've got worse at it.

  i was thinking about this today when i was listening to bette midler on the scottish radio.

  i thought to myself i quite liked her accent and also that it reminded me of someone else.

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  GrreatTeacher

  Sparrowdown, also the American South drops the g sound on the -ing ending:

  Runnin'

  Jumpin'

  Hollerin'

  Cussin'

  Also, the days of the week end in an -ee sound:

  Mondee

  Tuesdee

  Wednesdee

  Thursdee
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  37

  What did you have for Christmas dinner?

  by GrreatTeacher in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my inlaws are polish, though my husband is a 3rd generation american, but the food traditions have stuck around.. we have christmas eve dinner starting with red beet soup with sour cream, pierogies filled with mashed potatoes or saurkraut, ham, polish sausage sliced and cooked with saurkraut, turkey (that part is american), krischickies (likely spelled wrong) which are crispy pastries dipped in powdered sugar, and apple pie (also american.).

  there are goodnatured threats toward bad children who may need to get their dupa busted (butt spanked) and therefore santa will bring figismachen.

  i also love golabkis (ground beef and rice wrapped in cabbage leaves), but these were not served this time.

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  GrreatTeacher

  Hmm, bloody apples. Maybe the wrong holiday, LisaRose?