Posts by talesin

4

In recent interview, Patti Smith talks about being raised JW.

by talesin in

from interview magazine, in october.

she has a new memoir, should be a good read.. [bold is mine, and yes!

to whole thing, and especially the last sentence.].

talesin

Just requested both her memoirs, Just kids, and M train, la bibliotheque. Great reading to start the new year, methinks. The Queen of Punk, some say. Rock goddess Poet xx

4

In recent interview, Patti Smith talks about being raised JW.

by talesin in

from interview magazine, in october.

she has a new memoir, should be a good read.. [bold is mine, and yes!

to whole thing, and especially the last sentence.].

talesin

From Interview magazine, in October. She has a new memoir, should be a good read.

[bold is mine, and yes! to whole thing, and especially the last sentence.]

((edit: turns out, at the very bottom, says the interview is from 1976! But book is new.))

http://www.interviewmagazine.com/culture/new-again-patti-smith/#_

SMITH: Exactly, because I was real religious when I was young. I wanted to be a missionary. I was a Jehovah's Witness for a long time and I was always going out to preach. I must have been so pathetic because I was so skinny. I had these Brownie socks. I was real proud of the Brownie logo. I wasn't even a Brownie. I just got them—hot Brownie socks! And this little brown and white checkered dress with smocking. And I'd had scarlet fever and I'd lost most of my hair. I just had little tufts, and my mother was always trying to hide it by putting these huge plaid ribbons on my head. I'd go out every Saturday and take my Watchtowers andAwakes! because I was real serious about it. I had this idea that the coolest thing that could happen to you was talking with God. My father was always talking about God, and I idolized my father, so I'd spend hours trying to have mental telepathy with God.
FALAISE MCKENDRY: As a stage towards God you could always aim for being President. Rock 'n' roll songs would be better than presidential speeches. What would you do if you woke tomorrow morning and by some mischance you were President of the United States?
SMITH: First thing I'd do would be to abolish organized religion. I'd break up the power of the Mormons in Utah. Then I'd get a Cabinet together. I think I'd make Lenny Kaye, my lead guitar, an ambassador to try and patch up relations with Jamaica, and then have some long talks with Bob Marley and see if we couldn't open up Rastafarianism so that it is not a racial religion because I think it's a great religion. It has dope and rock 'n' roll—what a great religion! I realize that people need something to believe in.
I mean, I always used to seek it from religion and then it just wasn't satisfying enough, so I moved to art

9

Cards Against Humanity

by Simon in

we bought this game for xmas because it looked funny and we like board / card games.. https://cardsagainsthumanity.com/.

omg, it's freakin' hilarious!.

it turns out too that we're really bad people.

talesin

I noticed they have a free printable download (just use card stock). For anyone on a budget. I love board games - now, to tear other people away from their screens/headsets. LOL

5

Kevin O'Leary Asked to Invest in Watch Tower Society of Pennsylvania - His Response

by berrygerry in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwspmjngt6w

Wasanelder Once, he is kind of a TV icon in Canada. Not only for Dragon's Den (precursor to Shark's Tank), but also as a financial advisor for years on the "O'Leary Report" (is that the show) on Canada's national public broadasting system, the CBC. (Really good documentaries, btw, and many on youtube - look for The Fifth Estate, CBC or Doc Zone).

These folks are venture capitalists; they are investing to make money, and qquickly. O'Leary's biting sarcasm is well-known, and his lust for Randism is legendary. He hams it up a lot for the camera. So a combination of his 'take-downs' of the entrepreneurs is yeah, kinda funny in the context of the b'Org presenting, looking for venture capital.

23

Update 8: "fix your attitude, young lady"

by Esmeralda001 in

my study conductor lectured me about my attitude this morning!!!!

apparently some sister complained to her that my attitude was irritating.

the sister in question is just bothered by the fact that i ignore her along with her four daughters.

talesin

Just like at work. Tolerate the troublemakers when you *must* be around them, and avoid them when possible.

Tres bien! :D

5

Kevin O'Leary Asked to Invest in Watch Tower Society of Pennsylvania - His Response

by berrygerry in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwspmjngt6w

talesin

hahaha, Mr. Wonderful is quite the success w/ his Dragon's Den clone. Go Kev!

I can see him meeting with the WT now. As if !

Good one, BG. :P

16

Remember When Something Bad Would Happen And You Felt Its Really What They Deserved?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i was thinking about christmas and how celebrants may lose their home and all their possessions because a christmas candle burned down the house.. witnesses smugly would say, "well, they shouldn't have been celebrating the holidays!

".....yet if a jw got into a fatal car accident while going to a convention, it was clearly satan's doing..

talesin

No, never. I just don't get it.

In fact, it was about 5 years ago, I heard my mother say "It serves him right, he shouldn't have been doing [insert FUN activity] at his age!" ... upon my learning about a tragic accident. It was then I realized what a monster she was. It's very disheartening to realize, that is the JW way of thinking. : (

79

The really cool feeling of community within JWs

by Phaedra in

i remember going out with other jws after the memorial.. small gatherings.. picnics at some local landmark.. the feeling of closeness, camaraderie, friendship with like minded people you could trust.. haven't experienced it since i left.. really miss that..

talesin

Oh, my! I really should read the whole thread. smh

North Korea is a communist monarchy with a god-king. Google is your friend!

(Afterthought: "personality cult" or "cult of personality" ; think of the Moonies, it is a cult.)

Watch Lisa Ling's documentary for National Geographic, on youtube. Here's the link to part 1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_268_pBvPs

from Rational wiki, where it's rightly called 'bizarre':

North Korea, also known as the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" (DPRK; Korean chosŏn'gŭl: 조선민주주의인민공화국; Korean hancha: 朝鮮民主主義人民共和國; Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk), is a small, autarkic remnant of the Cold War ruled by third generation "leader" Kim Jong Un. The former ruler and father of the current one, Kim Jong Il,[2] lorded over the country as a God-king, and had the world's largest personality cult. He inherited power from his daddy, Kim Il Sung,[3] who founded the nation with the assistance from theSoviet Union. However, since the present leader is the third-gen Kim, that would make North Korea the world's only Communist dynasty (This is especially bizarre since monarchism was one of the things Marx railed against).
North Korea is perhaps the most undemocratic and totalitarian state in existence, with possibly the world's worst human rights record, and one of the only countries in the world in which Internet access is hugely censored and generally only available in the capital city.[4]. The regime is so abhorrently totalitarian that even most communists despise it. Its only outside supporters are either brainwashed tankies, or are just insane.

79

The really cool feeling of community within JWs

by Phaedra in

i remember going out with other jws after the memorial.. small gatherings.. picnics at some local landmark.. the feeling of closeness, camaraderie, friendship with like minded people you could trust.. haven't experienced it since i left.. really miss that..

talesin

"Argument from intimidation", which, based on John T. Reed's Debating Strategies, is "its appeal to moral self-doubt and its reliance on the fear, guilt or ignorance of the victim. It is used in the form of an ultimatum demanding that the victim renounce a given idea without discussion, under threat of being considered morally unworthy."

DJS Great quote. I've seen this tactic used a lot in recent debates. Saved, and the book is not at my library, but I'll find online. Thanks.

79

The really cool feeling of community within JWs

by Phaedra in

i remember going out with other jws after the memorial.. small gatherings.. picnics at some local landmark.. the feeling of closeness, camaraderie, friendship with like minded people you could trust.. haven't experienced it since i left.. really miss that..

talesin

I remember that feeling, though it was long ago. We knew each other before we went to school, they are the only ones we were allowed to be friends with. And we shared that experience. I still miss going out to dinner with a group, and some of the funniest conversations. Oy, I was naive, and never did have much of a 'filter'.

I've had some great times in my life, and still do. But those are the only really fun memories of my youth (skating parties, the best). Sometimes, at this time of year, it would be good to have folks around that i grew up with, or went to uni with, known and trusted for many years. You know, like regular people. xx

Edit: After reading fmf's comment, I have to say, YES. I have not read the thread. Best thing I ever did was get involved in some activism, and organizing a festival. My atheist friends, LOL, dubbed me 'the antiChrist' , and had the best Xmases with them, and other times, drum parties on the beach, pot lucks ...... music and food and no judgment, and not heavy drinkers. Thinking atheists have poor values is ignorance, plain and simple. All hail Festivus! :P