Posts by JamesThomas

24

Impossible situation! Can it ever work?

by smily in

jw
friends

well, things have moved on...my jw man has been agonizing over whether he should be seeing me or not?!

if i was a jw it would all be different?!

is that not like saying if i was not "black,american,german,white ect" surely this is racism of some kind?

JamesThomas

Smily, I have not read the other replies as I have time for only a hit and run.

As long as your guy is a dedicated Witness, his love for you will likely be based on what you believe rather than who you are.

Never forget he is under the severely dangerous influence of cult programming. You are a fool to be involved with him. You deserve someone who loves you for you rather than for some insane-religious-tribal-dogma you adhere to. You deserve better. You deserve better! You deserve someone who can offer you hopes of a bright future rather than one filled with the dark fear and dread of religious superstition.

Wake up from your coma, girl.

j

26

Highly Recommend Chef Marc's High Heat Turkey Recipe

by JamesThomas in

jw
friends

found here: http://www.chefmarc.com/index.

there are videos; and also go down to "other features" for written instructions.. i have followed his instructions the past two years for all the many turkeys baked, and they always come out crispy on the outside and superbly moist on the inside.. i also recommend doing a salt brine soak the night before baking: http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/10-9-2001-5239.asp.

you'll love.

JamesThomas

Nellie, fruit sounds good. I may try some orange juice in the brine this time.....and wine. Yes, orange juice and wine sounds like a winner.

Hopelessly, all I can say is I have done several turkeys with Marc's method over the past couple years and they have all been consistently delicious. Yes, please try again, it's not hopeless.

14

Who am I?

by purplesofa in

jw
friends

who am i to break away?.

don't the people who raised me, supported me, formed me---through their organizations and beliefs know more than i do?.

don't i owe them gratitude and respect?.

JamesThomas

This is the most important question that can ever be asked.

It requires a thorough investigation into everything the mind says and believes the "me" to be.

Notice that every description and thought the mind presents as "self" is witnessed by something untouched by these things. How deep does this silent and pristine pool go? Who/what am I, really?

Let go of everything that can be let go. Remove all that can be removed. What remains? What is foundationally true and unmoving? Who/what am I, really?

j

26

Highly Recommend Chef Marc's High Heat Turkey Recipe

by JamesThomas in

jw
friends

found here: http://www.chefmarc.com/index.

there are videos; and also go down to "other features" for written instructions.. i have followed his instructions the past two years for all the many turkeys baked, and they always come out crispy on the outside and superbly moist on the inside.. i also recommend doing a salt brine soak the night before baking: http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/10-9-2001-5239.asp.

you'll love.

JamesThomas

Thanks, Scully, I was not aware of that. Glad you pointed that out. I've been using cheap white no frills ones which came on a roll of a zillion.

26

Highly Recommend Chef Marc's High Heat Turkey Recipe

by JamesThomas in

jw
friends

found here: http://www.chefmarc.com/index.

there are videos; and also go down to "other features" for written instructions.. i have followed his instructions the past two years for all the many turkeys baked, and they always come out crispy on the outside and superbly moist on the inside.. i also recommend doing a salt brine soak the night before baking: http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/10-9-2001-5239.asp.

you'll love.

JamesThomas

exjdub:

If you have a link to a good brining process, or could post your brining recipe.

It's basically 1 cup salt to 1 gallon of water. Throw in a chopped up onion, a little garlic and your favorite herbs too if you like. I put the thawed turkey in a couple kitchen sized trash bags for brining and then place it in a camp cooler with some ice for overnight. With the turkey in the bags you can push the air out and twist-tie it closed, this surrounds the turkey with liquid using much less. Next day when you remove the turkey from the brine, rinse it and dry it very, very well, inside and out. Then you rub oil and herbs all over it (NO SALT), again inside and out.

One more thing...we just bought a convection oven this week. I have never cooked with a convection oven, but I know that convection ovens cook faster. Will Chef Marc's method still work OK?

Check the link to Chef Marc's site. You will find under "Other Features" -- "time and weight charts" where he gives you instructions for a conventional and convection ovens.

I suggest everyone read and follow the instructions carefully.

Please add your results to the thread.

j

26

Highly Recommend Chef Marc's High Heat Turkey Recipe

by JamesThomas in

jw
friends

found here: http://www.chefmarc.com/index.

there are videos; and also go down to "other features" for written instructions.. i have followed his instructions the past two years for all the many turkeys baked, and they always come out crispy on the outside and superbly moist on the inside.. i also recommend doing a salt brine soak the night before baking: http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/10-9-2001-5239.asp.

you'll love.

JamesThomas

Scully, I've never cooked a goose (though I have had many occasion where my goose has been cooked), so I don't know about high heat for that. However, this brine and high heat bake has worked so continuously well for me with turkey that I am confident you will find it wonderful as well (with turkey). Once I hit on this method I cook turkey throughout the year. It's a wonderfully healthy and tasty meat, makes great sandwiches, and makes for a very good soup with all the bones and remaining pieces. You can cook a 12 pounder in less than 2 hours.

You know you're no longer a JW when you do good turkey.

j

18

True Religion

by purplesofa in

how long was true religion really on the earth and when?.

thank you .

purps.

JamesThomas

Dear Purps,

There is no bad news here.

What religion promises is peace and wholeness; yet it can not give it to you because, because in reality what you seek is too close, too pure and beautiful, too vast and everlasting for religion to ever hope to contain, comprehend, or own.

The peace and wholeness: It's you Purps. Silently, pristinely, and truly, truly you.

Slip past all words and thoughts, everything you ever believed the universe and your "self" to be, and gently submerge into the cool-warm depths of your own vibrant and intimate conscious-being, and see.

The ache you feel, is it calling you. Calling you to awaken from the dream of broken isolation.

j

18

True Religion

by purplesofa in

how long was true religion really on the earth and when?.

thank you .

purps.

JamesThomas

In my opinion the phrase true-religion, is an oxymoron; and can be an especially painful one because it boldly promises what it can not deliver and generally gives little if any meaningful guidance. The best lesson religion has to offer, is that it is empty of true significance.

The living Truth we seek is boundless and vast, nakedly raw, real and actual, immediate and vibrant as Life itself. Religion, on the other hand, is nothing more than dogmatic beliefs, metalized words and thoughts, ideas and concepts, cadavorous interpretations and facsimiles. In a sense, Truth = reality and life. Religion = death; foolishly offering you it's own antithesis. Which it can never deliver. Religion is the ultimate deceiver.

Religion exists solely in the limited and cramped domain of the mind. Truth, what the word G-O-D feebly points to, is boundless and what the tiny mind exists within, what all existence exists within.

This is why the wise have recommended -- when in search of truth -- that there be stillness of the mind. The mind does not and can not know truth. Nothing the mind can offer is IT. There is no true-belief, no true-religion.

Truth is lived, it is what you really are -- just beneath all that is believed and thought to be.

j

26

Highly Recommend Chef Marc's High Heat Turkey Recipe

by JamesThomas in

jw
friends

found here: http://www.chefmarc.com/index.

there are videos; and also go down to "other features" for written instructions.. i have followed his instructions the past two years for all the many turkeys baked, and they always come out crispy on the outside and superbly moist on the inside.. i also recommend doing a salt brine soak the night before baking: http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/10-9-2001-5239.asp.

you'll love.

JamesThomas

Found here: http://www.chefmarc.com/index

There are videos; and also go down to "Other Features" for written instructions.

I have followed his instructions the past two years for all the many turkeys baked, and they always come out crispy on the outside and superbly moist on the inside.

I also recommend doing a salt brine soak the night before baking: http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/10-9-2001-5239.asp

You'll love the turkey you get with a overnight brine soak and high heat bake.

Bon appetit

j

7

If it wasn't for religion, there would be no atheists.

by Bonnie_Clyde in

jw
friends

clyde and i were discussing all the atrocities and wars that were fought in the name of religion, and he made an interesting comment, "if it wasn't for religion, there would be no atheists.

" i've been thinking about that for several days.

i was once a true believer, but my faith has been so shaken that i am on the verge of questioning his very existence.

JamesThomas

I was once a true believer, but my faith has been so shaken that I am on the verge of questioning his very existence.

Good for you, Bonnie.

Often times our chosen god becomes a huge part of the false personal-identity and ego. So much so that we could not imagine life without our Jesus, or our Jehovah, or our Allah, or whomever. Questioning the existence of the deity or deities we have been raised with, takes courage and a special kind of maturity.

Perhaps it may help your transition if you spend more time in nature, and also silently sitting and watching the mind. Allow yourself to clearly see how religious beliefs are simply mental thoughts and words. Letting go of our deity, is letting go of certain thoughts/memories is all; and perhaps some connected emotions. It can be very refreshing and freeing.

As you move away from placing significance in religious thoughts, place more attention on the vibrant immediacy of being and existing. Really see how much richer the actual rawness of Life is compared to the metallizations of thoughts, interpretations and stories. There is a vast depth right here that beliefs and fabrications only hide.

Look past not just beliefs in a god, but past all beliefs in "self" and universe. Be still and meet with the beauty and bottomless depths of your true and vibrant being and presence. Perhaps what you seek, has been here all along.

j