asleif_dufansdottir

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Posts by asleif_dufansdottir

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  31

  Sex in the City is over

  by wasasister in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  anyone else watch the final episode?

  were you satisfied?

  pleased?

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  asleif_dufansdottir

  Steven never would watch it with me, his comment was always, "Too much city, not enough sex"
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  16

  How long has man been on earth - an epiphany of sorts

  by Dawn in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am a believer, but have struggled with some bible subjects.

  the one that has caused me the most questions, and for the longest time (even as a jw) is the geneology of jesus found in the first 17 verses of matthew.. on the one hand there is an incredible amount of scientific evidence supporting man's existence here on earth for well past 6,000 years.

  i did a thesis paper in archeology on dating techniques so i am familiar with these techniques and i believe they are credible.. i could toss this section of matthew aside as some sort of mistake except for another type of evidence - the mathmatical codes contained in these verses.

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  asleif_dufansdottir

  Can't explain what I don't believe in.
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  31

  Sex in the City is over

  by wasasister in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  anyone else watch the final episode?

  were you satisfied?

  pleased?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  asleif_dufansdottir

  I didn't get to watch it! Tell us what happened! Please?
• 
  51

  "The Four Presidents of the Watchtower Society"

  by RR in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this is the new book edited by edmund gruss.

  i just finished reading it and must say a one word description would be "disturbing".

  the book focuses of course on the characters and motivations of the first four presidents of the watchtower society.

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  asleif_dufansdottir

  Most of the Witnesses that I know do NOT contribute at all. Only a handful in our congregation were regular contributors.

  But those that do contribute, often contribute more as donations than they would have paid for the 25 cent mags and couple-of-dollar books they receive. Face it, WT literature was cheap (when it was priced). Much cheaper than books sold in Christian bookstores. That's why people were willing to toss a bit of cash at JWs at the door, back when there was a price on it.

  I, personally think the WT was a bit disappointed that the rank-and-file didn't donate as much as they thought they would. I remember when the "donation arrangement" went into effect. Very few in our congregation were not aware that it was because the WT was being threatened with having to pay taxes. Good old (who was it - Swaggart?). But still, they're still better off financially not paying taxes.

  There are some JWs with money. Think of how much they donate, especially the "true believers" with money, and stuff to leave to the WT in their wills.

  And not just money given to the society...how about the money given as gifts to individual COs, DOs, Bethelites. All unreported. Some of them live pretty high on the hog, and they have crowds of willing peons falling at their feet in adulation.

  Yes they're whining about donations, but this is still a wealthy corporation, and money makes money. They have stocks, don't forget.

  I doubt that literature sales is the real moneymaker of the WT empire. So what if the literature peddling isn't all that profitable? What does it cost them? Pennies per item, all printed and distributed with volunteer labor. All their labor, all of it, is volunteer. All the real estate is maintained by volunteer labor, all the intellectual capital is volunteer, all the stuff that costs most corporations the most is free or dirt cheap.

  Do they care if the book and mag sales aren't hugely profitable? Why would they? If it makes them anything it's gravy. And it keeps the rank and file too busy to think for themselves and gives them something to do...it keeps their followers in line. It might occasionally accidentally even bring them a new follower. All at absolutely no cost to those who run the society.

  PLUS, it gives them an excellent front to present to the rest of the world, "We are a charity, we do Bible education, we are a religion." Got them into the UN, gets them tax-exempt status, gives them a lot of perks. And, don't forget, it has to be a huge ego boost to have millions of people who think you speak for God.

  Edited because I forgot to ask:
  Was there anybody who didn't have stacks of "extra" literature at home? Stuff they could never place? At least you could leave old mags at not at homes, but the books, I don't know how many copies of the Live Forever, or Creation book etc, I had...
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  16

  How long has man been on earth - an epiphany of sorts

  by Dawn in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am a believer, but have struggled with some bible subjects.

  the one that has caused me the most questions, and for the longest time (even as a jw) is the geneology of jesus found in the first 17 verses of matthew.. on the one hand there is an incredible amount of scientific evidence supporting man's existence here on earth for well past 6,000 years.

  i did a thesis paper in archeology on dating techniques so i am familiar with these techniques and i believe they are credible.. i could toss this section of matthew aside as some sort of mistake except for another type of evidence - the mathmatical codes contained in these verses.

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• 

  asleif_dufansdottir

  Oh, no...earliest Homo sapiens sapiens were between 100,000 - 120,000 years ago.

  Edited because you might have been thinking of the "Great Leap Forward" that happened (depending) 40 - 50 thousand years ago. Stone tools got better and became standardized, we find evidence of jewelry, cave art, language, etc. Basically, current scientific belief is that the way our brains worked changed then. Of course, paleoarchaeology is limited by what has survived, but it's the best understanding we have so far.

  The Agricultural revolution (we domesticated plants and started farming) happened about 10,000 years ago
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  18

  Women: Know Your Place

  by Pleasuredome in

  1. social
  2. humour

  here's some good sound advice for the modern-day lady of the house, from our old friend, mr chumley-warner.have dinner ready.

  plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready, on time for his return.

  this is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs.

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  asleif_dufansdottir

  PD,

  Ya know, this stuff would be a lot funnier if we could read it in retrospect, but we really haven't gotten to that point yet, unfortunately. There are too many in this world (and too many in our government) who think this stuff is absolutely good advice. Women still get advice like this all the time, sometimes from other women, more's the pity.

  The WT recycled a lot of this crap, too, but that worries me less than the fact that it remains to a great degree 'out in the world' too.
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  18

  Women: Look, Listen & Take Heed

  by Pleasuredome in

  1. social
  2. humour

  good advice from mr chumley-warner for women attempting to drive.

  c-w: look at this motor car.

  a beauty, isn't it?

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  asleif_dufansdottir

  [we see a cut-away diagram of a man's head. information is
  "raining" into it, filling it all the way up to the top...]
  
  
  Look at the effect of education on a man and a woman's mind.
  Education passes into the mind of a man - see how the information is evenly
  and tidily stored?
  
  
  [we then see a cut-away diagram of a woman's head. the
  information "rains" into it as before, but stops about a quarter of the way up...]
  
  
  Now see the same thing on a woman. At first, we see a similar
  result. But now look - still at a reasonably low level of education, her
  brain suddenly overloads...
  
  
  [the "rain" is replaced by a frantic squiggle, and klaxons start
  hooting...]

  Well, who can argue with such...scientific...research.

  Don't forget, it's the Y chromosome that has less genetic information on it...guys start out life at a disadvantage...poor things, they can't help it if their conclusions are all screwy, the're not playing with a full deck...
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  18

  Women: Look, Listen & Take Heed

  by Pleasuredome in

  1. social
  2. humour

  good advice from mr chumley-warner for women attempting to drive.

  c-w: look at this motor car.

  a beauty, isn't it?

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  asleif_dufansdottir

  Yes, over-education leads to ugliness, premature aging, and beard growth.

  [Asleif looks in mirror]

  Oh, is that what caused it??

  Actually, we women know that men saying things like that is just sour grapes. Education, for women, just makes most men look a lot less attractive to us.
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  22

  For Celtic - A New Home $8,000

  by jgnat in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  click on the link below, and voila.. http://www.saskatoonagents.com/cudworth/saskatchewan/homes/area_7_-_saskatoon/cudworth/listing_76327.html.

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  asleif_dufansdottir

  Well, I haven't lived in Sask, but I did spend the first 30 years of my life in rural Kansas and Nebraska. Places where a job was acceptable if it was minimum wage if it was full time and might have (gasp) benefits! (gosh those city folks who get jobs where they get paid even when they go on vacation sure have it good!) $10 or $12 an hour was, and I quote, "real damned good wages."

  Keep in mind that if the housing prices are that low there, there's a reason...

  it's because that's all the people who live there can afford.

  (trust me, if people could pay it, housing prices would go up)

  While we're waxing poetic on the joys of rural living, don't lets forget that your nearest doctor might be an hour's drive away, (more likely, your nearest clinic if your little town is lucky enough to have one, is staffed by a nurse) and your local hospital probably closed down...your kids might have to be bussed 40 miles to get to a school that's still open...and if you're unemployed, don't count on there being any such thing as an unemployment office or other such services within several hours' drive. Now remember, there is no such thing as public transportation, and many of the rural poor do not have a car that is reliable, which makes the distances that have to be traveled that much worse. (this is in rural Kansas and Nebraska, I imagine the far reaches of Canada could be much the same)

  Rural areas (real rural areas, not bedroom communities of urban areas) are poor areas. The sociologists I know who work on such issues find it really depressing.

  I suppose this is kinda hijacking the thread, but when people start talking about how "cheap" housing is in some places, I just remember when I lived in a house where the bathroom floor was so bad the toilet would tip over if you leaned.
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  30

  Songs that get you moving...

  by czarofmischief in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  okay, here's a nice fluff thread for us to snuggle on before the election heats up.. what song cheers you up as soon as you hear the first few notes?

  also, have you ever had any experiences that related to the music playing in the background?.

  i'll start:.

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  asleif_dufansdottir

  Rocky Mountain High. Love that guitar intro, can't help but grin and my spirits soar...