Posts by GrreatTeacher

Actually a political party meeting gives you pretty much the bald truth. They'll not only talk about what they believe, but their plan to win votes and beat the opposition. They talk strategy.

They don't have to lie to get people in the door or keep them there. Only the most committed bother to get involved at that level. So, that is THE place to get the dirty on them. They're laying out their political ambitions and calculations right there.

By contrast, never assume signs or bill boards or door to door canvassers are telling the whole truth because they want your personal vote. Party meetings are there to plan to get ALL the votes! That's where you'll really get the goods.

35

JWs who are now paying the price of following the cult.

by mickbobcat in

my in-laws are two such people.

people who pioneered and did not work and try to save, instead they made just enough to get by and waited for the end to come.

now my mil is in palliative care and the state is paying for her keep, my fil lives in a dilapidated home and can not keep it up.

GrreatTeacher

My brother in law, never a JW, has never bothered to buy health insurance. Brilliant dude, but never successful and couldn't justify the expense.

Just got a call yesterday that he was rushed to the Emergency Room. He was feverish and vomiting. Come to find out that he had ignored his diabetes, got an infection in his foot and once part of his toe died and fell off and he was nearly septic, he went to the ER. Transferred by ambulance to another hospital where he is on IV antibiotics and they're trying to save his toe. Once you hit 50, you HAVE to take care of your health.

My husband's union negotiates healthcare. Until about 5 or 6 years ago, it was at no cost, but now we pay about $240 a month for a Cadillac plan for a family. It sounds like you are in a trades union multipayor plan which I am also familiar with because my husband worked out of a local union for his apprenticeship for the first 7 years of his career. However, my husband works for a large company now that is multistate, though each state has its own bargaining unit and contract.

My BIL had the option of purchasing crappy medical insurance for much more money. He chose not to buy it and won that gamble for many years. God knows how much this will cost, likely tens of thousands, and how long it will take to pay back. He was supposed to start a new job Monday. Who knows if they'll hold the job for him or not?

So, I have an uneasy relationship with GoFundMe for healthcare expenses. I feel terrible that even people who pay for good insurance sometimes get hit with big expenses for big illnesses. Get cancer, and even with good insurance, you're out big bucks. Hell, my husband just had shoulder surgery this year and we hit our annual out of pocket maximum at $1850 and that was a big hit! There are crappy plans with $10,000 out of pocket maximums! But, the other part of me thinks that people really need to negotiate better healthcare as part of their employment contracts when they get hired. Most people don't even bother to sign employment contracts and work at will. It's a precarious position to accept. So, I don't usually donate to healthcare GoFundMe's.

18

How many states have you ever lived in? (USA)

by Iamallcool in

jw
friends

i only have lived in 4 states!

michigan.

georgia.

GrreatTeacher

Only Maryland, though all of my JW experience was in Southcentral Pennsylvania. Grew up on the Mason Dixon Line.

Now live in central Maryland in the greater Baltimore - Washington metro area.

24

The left keeps topping its self on crazy

by mickbobcat in

https://youtu.be/ffmhcph_ops.

GrreatTeacher

Mick, since we vote by secret ballot in the US, it's none of your business who I voted for.

I know many people who voted across party lines. Most of them Republicans.

38

The "Regular Pioneer" title has now become a total joke

by pistolpete in

we just had our co visit a few weeks ago.

apparently, he was encouraging all who could to regular pioneer, to at least try it out for a year.

because of this, we had a few people in our hall become one.. so this weekend we were on zoom service, and the sister that was just appointed was talking about it.

GrreatTeacher

I thought the dropped hour requirement referred to Regular pioneers.

I didn't think they were promoting Auxiliary pioneering during Covid.

I think stating the choice of hours for Auxiliary pioneering is slowly introducing the idea of getting back to normal field service.

But, I wasn't there so I could be wrong?

146

Science News article: ‘Case closed’: 99.9% of scientists agree climate emergency caused by humans

by Disillusioned JW in

a news article has the headline of " ‘case closed’: 99.9% of scientists agree climate emergency caused by humans"; see https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/19/case-closed-999-of-scientists-agree-climate-emergency-caused-by-humans .

the article says in part the following.. 'the scientific consensus that humans are altering the climate has passed 99.9%, according to research that strengthens the case for global action at the cop26 summit in glasgow.. the degree of scientific certainty about the impact of greenhouse gases is now similar to the level of agreement on evolution and plate tectonics, the authors say, based on a survey of nearly 90,000 climate-related studies.

this means there is practically no doubt among experts that burning fossil fuels, such as oil, gas, coal, peat and trees, is heating the planet and causing more extreme weather.. a previous survey in 2013 showed 97% of studies published between 1991 and 2012 supported the idea that human activities are altering earth’s climate.. this has been updated and expanded by the study by cornell university that shows the tiny minority of sceptical voices has diminished to almost nothing as evidence mounts of the link between fossil-fuel burning and climate disruption.. the latest survey of peer-reviewed literature published from 2012 to november 2020 was conducted in two stages.

GrreatTeacher

LOL. Thought so!

38

The "Regular Pioneer" title has now become a total joke

by pistolpete in

we just had our co visit a few weeks ago.

apparently, he was encouraging all who could to regular pioneer, to at least try it out for a year.

because of this, we had a few people in our hall become one.. so this weekend we were on zoom service, and the sister that was just appointed was talking about it.

GrreatTeacher

They just set up a class distinction.

You can be an AP30 or an AP50. Guess who is more spiritual?

This probably also means that the hour requirement is coming back for regular pioneers.