James Thomas Rook Jr.

I once knew a sad little Lizard that INSISTED it was derived from a Tyrannosaurus Rex ( ... on it's mother's side...). Lizards are rather sad little creatures, and I did not argue with him or her, as the case may be .... It made the little Lizard HAPPY to believe it had that ancestry ... in a world in which reptile happiness is in short supply. ... apologies to RAH, and Lazarus Long ... .

Somehow, when I close my eyes, I hear the voice of Fozzie Bear !

..... except the bottom three shelves, which will collect dust, dog hair, visiting rodents and spiders. The three lower shelves are only practical if the books are painted on. ..... And people with less than perfect vision will have to sit down to read the titles. .

I never gave it any thought at all! My thoughts are highly compartmentalized, by design. Several years ago I was surrounded in the Kingdom Hall aisleway after a meeting by three Elders who demanded to know what I thought of the Governing Body. Without thinking I blurted out "I never think of them at all !" There were no follow up questions. .

Anna: You will have to give Nicola some slack ... although 50 years old, she is still very young, and has not learned how hard it is, or why you HAVE to do homework, or that the Bible does not have a theme, thread, chapter or verse on motorcycle maintenance. .I would pat myself on the back for that inspired philosophical gem, but I would need both elbows on the same arm, and with the other arm, point it out.

TTH: I am not average.... I started out way below average and was considered mentally "challenged" until High School. I repeated the 12th grade, just barely graduating High School. Before I retired I was well pleased with the skills I had accumulated in wide areas of human endeavor. I have DAILY worked very hard to overcome the handicaps I was born with, and I have been around people that make the best I can do seem like a childrens' exercise with crayons. I know EXACTLY where I fit on the intelligence and human bell curve, and do not wallow in false humility. to be politically correct. ... and AvP ....... MOOOOOO ! .

When someone TRUSTS you .. it is criminal to lie to them .... but most people convince themselves of the lie first as a matter of political survival.

It is no crime for anyone, or any authoritative Governing Body, to honestly say about any topic ... "I don't have the slightest clue ... I do NOT know the answer". How simple life could be for ALL of us if this basic premise were common. .

That is what makes average people, average people. In the July 7, 1879 "Zion's Watch Tower" Charles Taze Russell was making life miserable for the Clergy of his day, and was the subject of malice, slander, envy, hatred and contention, as a former member of Christendom who the Clergy characterized as Satan, himself.. In an article "What is Truth" of that issue he stated " A truth presented by Satan himself is JUST AS TRUE as a truth stated by God.". "WHAT IS TRUTH?" This question is one which every sincere Christian should ask and seek to answer. We should learn to love and value truth for its own sake; to respect and honor it by owning and acknowledging it wherever we find it and by whomsoever presented. A truth presented by Satan himself is just as true as a truth stated by God. Perhaps no class of people are more apt to overlook this fact than the Christian. How often do they in controversy overlook and ignore truth presented by their opponents. This is particularly the case when arguing with an infidel. They feel at perfect liberty to dispute everything he says on religious subjects. This is not the correct principle. Many infidels are honest— as anxious to speak and believe the truth as are Christians— and if in converse with them we ignore truths which they may advance, we not only fail to convince them of our truths, but put an end to all hope of reaching them; for our failure to admit the evident truth which they advance begets in them contempt for the one who is not honest enough to admit one truth because he does not see how it can be reconciled to another. Accept truth wherever you find it, no matter what it contradicts, and rely for ability to afterwards harmonize it with others upon "The Spirit of truth, which shall guide you into all truth," as Jesus promised. Truth, like a modest little flower in the wilderness of life, is surrounded and almost choked by the luxuriant growth of the weeds of error. If you would find it you must be ever on the lookout. If you would see its beauty you must brush aside the weeds of error and the brambles of bigotry. If you would possess it you must stoop to get it. Be not content with one flower of truth. Had one been sufficient there would have been no more. Gather ever, seek for more. Weave them together as a garland —"Bind them on thee as a bride doeth." "Bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: so shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man." Prov. 3:3. C.T.R. ========================================================= Or as Gene Hackman playing Lex Luthor in the first Superman movie, circa 1979 said .... " Some people can read War and Peace and come away thinking it’s a simple adventure story. Others can read the ingredients on a chewing gum wrapper and unlock the secrets of the universe."

Is there button I must press to see the pictures of the inside of the theater?

In Haiti, even today .. the population is 85% Catholic, and believe in the Trinity, as an institution (individual results may vary ...) AND 85% or so of THAT group also practice Voodoo and worship their ancestors, and practice "magic". The Church allows this. During the Nicene Council, where assembled Catholic Bishops from all over the Roman Empire were assembled, by Emperor Constantine ..worshipper of the Sun .. a member of the cult of "Sol Invictus" and Mithras, the god of Tradesmen and warriors, until his death ... the controversy even inspired fist-fights on the floor of the meeting place ... but Constantine, who was a comsumate politician, who thought Jesus was a FINE way to consolidate his Empire with a pacifistic god... ORDERED the Council, for political reasons, to adopt the concept of the Trinity. As you can imagine... Roman Emperors had for a long time promulgated the very politically helpful idea that THEY could be both god and man at the same time ... and by commanding the doctrine of the Trinity, this would show the rubes that this idea had theological backing. Divine right of Kings ...... The Bishops STILL bore the scars of the terrible persecutions ... and NOW .. they were the favorite religion of the Roman Emperor himself... WOW! Constantine gave them privilege, power, money, and land ... and military protection. I could go on for a hundred pages about this ... but OF COURSE, the "early Christians" ( a mislabeling..), or at least those officially honored by the Roman Empire ... believed in the Trinity. It was treason against the expressed will of Constantine to believe otherwise, and political suicide. .To have a "Universal" Church .. you have to adopt EVERYTHING pagan, and rename it to appear holy ... like whitewashing a grave .. filled with bones and corruption. Trinities were around a LONG time ( Egypt, Babylon, India, etc.) before Christendom adopted them.

The young and inexperienced are very often surprised ... that fades away as you get older and nothing except a head on car collision surprises you. In 1980 I had a drunk hit me head on ... destroyed both cars ... THAT surprised me! I had about 3/4 of a second to put an iron grip on the steering wheel, and tuck my head and close my eyes so I would not get glass in them. When I woke up it was feeling my hand on the door handle trying to open the door, so even unconscious, I was trying to get out of the car, as there was hot radiator fluid and gas all about, with broken glass. I was not the slightest bit upset, though ... as STUFF HAPPENS .. in fact I was THRILLED that I had no blood or bones showing through, and that I was still alive. Interactions with humans are like that .... head on collisions, that MIGHT have killed you ... think ahead so correct responses are AUTOMATIC. Disfelowshipping was not practiced institutionally in the early Christian Congregation ... not the way it's done today ... to discipline ONE PERSON we destroy his entire family relationships ... aunts, uncles, nieces, parents, children, grandparents, friends. etc. This is something INDIVIDUALS are charged with. It's just like if you were my employee ... I can severely restrict your freedom of speech as I see fit .. or fire you ...but when I cut off all your friends after work, and interaction with relatives ... that is EVIL. This is why Jehovah's Witnesses, who are in fact God's people ... have the highest "churn rate" of any religion in America .... people here as a general rule recognize tyranny when they see it ... not tyranny like being marched to a mass grave and shot in the back of the head .. but petty tyranny is still tyranny. All Societies evolve in cycles ... and we are no exception. This is NOT NEW. No surprises here. .

Nicola: The EASIEST way to "quit", is quit coming here.. just stop .. anyone that quits will be like the hole left in a bucket of water when you pull your hand out.. This is an open forum clearly labeled as being an "Arena of Ideas" ... and sometimes the sand runs red with the blood and gore of bad ideas, and even the winners of the thought experiments get seriously bloodied.... this is the way it SHOULD be among adults. Political correctness is what in a previous generation used to be called craven cowardice. My Dad, whose "real religion" was the United States Navy, once told me in lamentation that in the "old days", ships were made of wood, and the men were made of steel ... but today, the ships are made of steel, and the men are made of wood. Iron sharpens iron, but you WILL get "bloodied" and sometimes have skin torn off ... but if you want a knife edge intellect, and comprehensive discernment, and STRENGTH ... that is the price that the Universe demands. There is NO OTHER WAY. Iron sharpens iron ... soft soap sharpens NOTHING ... and those who ALLOW their feelings to be hurt by words universally become "Snowflakes", who are melted at the slightest friction. Like the Eagles sang about standing on a corner, in Winslow, Arizona ( .. what a fine sight to see ... ) ... don't let the sounds of your own wheels .. drive you CRAZY. .

AMEN! If you think about the PRINCIPLES behind policy, it is immediately OBVIOUS to most educated people that current WTB&TS policy is first and foremost ... SELF SERVING. NOT in the best interest of Justice .... but that is beating a very dead, rotted horse. Examples are Legion. I have been waiting for someone to verbalize and write this very thing, so I, who am as diplomatic as a runaway chain-saw, would not have to. The essence of EVERYTHING is summed up in Michael Frost's single . two line paragraph.. .

Actually the answer is VERY simple ....Jehovah God made Adam and Eve and thought it was perfectly OK to walk around naked..... It was Adam and Eve deciding FOR THEMSELVES THAT THEY WERE NAKED ... and took upon themselves opinions and doctrines that Jehovah God NEVER even suggested. Had they not sinned by choosing THEIR standards over GOD'S standards, the logical extrapolation of that is that all their children would have walked around naked WITH them. Being a taboo is NOT from God.... it is from self-made cultural taboos. The list of them would fill up a large city telephone book ... if they make those, anymore. It's morally wrong to try and enslave someone else to error .... and pathetically morally wrong to ENSLAVE OURSELVES! That having been said ... and it is VERY true ... the last time I was in the hospital for four days, I refused to wear that silly open back gown, and wore Levis and a long sleeve shirt the whole time. ... you know ... in case Mars Attacks! Adam and Eve chose for THEMSELVES what was "the knowledge of good and evil" and "cultural taboos were born, abandoning Jehovah's knowledge of good and evil ... which in this case, he cared NOTHING about. Sorta like the current non-biblical shunning policy, the way it is currently practiced. I will be civil and polite, and generous with ANYONE who is civil, polite, and generous to me ... but I am keeping the Levis. . .

. I have a substantial portion of the Original "Burning Bush" which I use to heat my home in winter, and bar-b-que in summer ... better than solar panels... AND ... IT TALKS! .

...and now for something completely different ....

The reason is quite simple, ... the consolidation of ecclesiastical POWER. Can you imagine Jesus, who ate with sinners and tax collectors ( who had a reputation for corrupt collections to line their own pockets, as well as brutality in their methods), treating someone who was baptized at 10 years of age who is a victim of child sexual abuse having to defend himself to Jesus? Or, having been brutalized by the inquisitional Elders ( ... in the nicest possible way ...), NEVER receiving Justice from those with the very BEST of intentions .. but who have no training in this area, and who in fact are clueless incompetents ... being disfellowshipped, and shunned, and banished .... by Jesus? I cannot. The reason is quite simple, ... the consolidation and enforcement of ecclesiastical POWER. Once ANY religion reaches a certain size, and has accumulated buildings, assets, a steady stream of LOTS of money .. greed takes over, and they will pervert Justice to maintain possession of their ecclesiastical power and therefore their money, stuff, and high profile jobs.' Except for the Apostles ... all church leadership is SELF APPOINTED ... and they LIKE THEIR JOBS! Take for example, Governing Body Member Bro. Samuel Herd ... he told how he was a poor gardener for some rich woman, and maintained her lawn and grounds at pitiful pay ... and he resented being treated so shabbily for such hard work. NOW he lives in a magnificent complex, is highly respected,... even adored in actual practice as a GB member ... wears the best clothes... has not missed any meals, has all his travel and all other expenses paid. As best they can manage it, so do Priests, Ministers of Christendom, and even Shamans, Witch Doctors, and criminally oriented Televangelists .Except for the Apostles ... all church leadership is SELF APPOINTED ... and they LIKE THEIR JOBS! When Governing Body Member Ray Franz got sick and left Bethel to go home and recuperate, he got $10,000 severance pay ... a pitifully small transitional allowance for a lifetime of serving the Society's interests ,,, and certainly no "Golden Parachute". ... but if you are in a lower "rank" you get NOTHING to get back into "civilian" life, as the 2015 October Meltdown and layoff of 83,000 Bethelites and Special Pioneers proved. "Thank you for your years of sacrifice and service .... here is a map to the door, please be out by 5PM tomorrow..." FEAR is one of the BEST methods of consolidation of ecclesiastical POWER.. and if you can instill FEAR of arbitrary and capricious treatment ... and MAKE THAT THE STANDARD ... then your position of "Boss" is assured. This is NOTHING NEW ... this is what ALWAYS happens ... and in the history of the world, there has NEVER been any exceptions ... except Jesus Christ ... who had no place to lay his head, and to the best of knowledge, did not even have a change of clothes, and who talked and ate with people of HIS SAME RELIGION (at the time) who were universally recognized by the Pharisees .. the Shamans and Witch Doctors of his time ... as despicable. .We shun people today because it is NECESSARY for the consolidation of ecclesiastical POWER, by those who have self appointed themselves to positions of ULTIMATE Earthly authority, If you generate ENOUGH FEAR .. people will STOP asking questions .. and will learn to LOVE the "Big Brothers", as a matter of personal survival. In an article in the 1947 AWAKE! this principle was clearly understood, as a second World War made MANY issues concerning tyranny crystal clear ... for a while.

I like my fantasy story better than yours. Mine is OBVIOUSLY a fantasy story. Yours has NO FACTS to take it out of the Fantasy category. Any story has to be FACT CHECKED to be believable ... except for those with marshmallows for brains ... then you do NOT have to know "Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How Much". THEN SpongeBob Squarepants or Casper the "Friendly" Ghost will ALSO be acceptable. Remember ... MOST people in general, and most Witnesses in general do NOT have ANY training to determine the difference between fantasy and reality. If WE do .. and the ability to even get to this site is a presumption of competence ... we have a MORAL OBLIGATION to teach the Brotherhood how to be good "Bereans" ... and INSIST on it! .

Money ALWAYS tells the truth! If you want to know WHY things ... ANYTHINGS ... happen ... FOLLOW THE MONEY! It will lead you to the truth of WHY!

Nothing like getting beat up over and over by people who remember ... it takes a hundred years or more for ONE generation to completely die out, and that remembrance to be lost ... with the possible exception of Mr. Google.

Wow: You know Witnessing is tough when you have to put towels under your feet to keep them from freezing to the ground! From the News source for Babylon the Great ... "The Babylon Bee", January 31, 2017 Local Man Boldly Engages Mormons At Door By Pretending Not To Be Home FORT WAYNE, IN—Stating he was attempting to defend the faith that was “once for all delivered to the saints,” local believer Jared Wells recently pretended he was not at home as a pair of friendly Mormon missionaries knocked on his door, sources confirmed Tuesday. “We have to engage those who are trapped in man-made, legalistic religious systems,” Wells told reporters as he reclined on his couch reading a magazine. “We need to contend for the faith when Mormon missionaries spread their false gospel in our neighborhoods, and the very best way to do that is to hunker down until they move on down the street,” he added, before telling reporters in his home to keep their voices down. Wells also provided some practical pointers for engaging with LDS missionaries. “Turn off the lights when you see them knocking on your neighbor’s door, so it’ll already look like you’re not at home when they walk up your driveway. And when they go on to the next house, make sure to stay hidden for a good 20-30 minutes, until you’re sure they’re no longer on your block.” “Don’t slip up and go check your mail while they might still be nearby,” he added. According to Wells, those who feel called to engage Mormons may even consider getting a “No Soliciting” sign, or a very loud, angry-looking dog. At publishing time, the evangelist was frantically telling reporters to “duck behind the couch” as a pair of Jehovah’s Witnesses came up his home’s front walkway.

I hate it when something comes to a screeching halt, don't you? Of course, in the case of a loaded concrete mixer truck going 78 miles per hour, jumping a median strip, flipping through the air, and skidding along the asphalt in sprays of sparks and screeching tortured metal ripping the mixer apart, and stopping inches from your fear petrified body .. it's a GOOD THING! So, were the Witnesses Don Ossewaarde and his wife Ruth given a "ticket", incarcerated in a local jail or prison, or shot in the back of the head and dumped into a mass grave ... or just spoken to in a harsh voice and told not to be "naughty"?. Details are important ... otherwise, forgetting about momentum will get you entombed in a heavy mass of semi-liquid concrete after the screech. .

SPEAKING OF NEWS RELEASES !! .... All the news from Babylon the Great can be had at babylonbee <dot> com. Here is the latest from them on Televangelist Binny Hinn's recent "open house" in Grapevine Texas.... *coff* Benny Hinn Attempts Jedi Mind Trick On IRS Agents Investigating His Ministry April 27, 2017 GRAPEVINE, TX—As IRS and US Postal Service investigators swarmed Benny Hinn Ministries’ Grapevine office complex Wednesday, Benny Hinn himself stood nearby, utilizing a difficult, powerful Jedi mind trick on various government agents walking by in an attempt to dissuade them from investigating his ministry any further, sources confirmed. “These aren’t the tax documents you’re looking for,” Hinn said calmly to a federal official carrying a large box of files and folders purportedly containing damning evidence of shady financial transactions on the part of the televangelist’s ministry. His mystical tone was accompanied by a slow wave of his hand as he closed his eyes in concentration. “Sir, please just move out of the way so we can get these to our vehicle,” the IRS agent responded, according to those within earshot. “I can go about my business,” Hinn replied, attempting to influence the agent’s actions with the mere power of his mind. Exasperated, the agent attempted to plead one more time, but was interrupted by Hinn’s commanding voice, declaring, “Move along,” before he shook his head in frustration and just walked around the televangelist and prosperity gospel preacher. At publishing time, sources had confirmed Hinn had attempted to blast the fleet of federal vehicles surrounding his ministry’s compound with a barrage of lightning from his fingertips, but had been unsuccessful. In related news, also from babylonbee<dot>com ...... Panicked Kenneth Copeland Orders 15 Industrial Shredders From Amazon April 28, 2017 NEWARK, TX—Having received a courtesy phone call from his friend Benny Hinn tipping him off to the federal government’s crackdown on Hinn’s ministry, a sweating, frantic Kenneth Copeland drove to his ministry headquarters Friday morning, sat down at one of his employees’ computers, and ordered 15 industrial paper shredders from Amazon, sources confirmed. The shredders will reportedly be used to destroy millions of compromising financial documents. “They came for Benny, they’re coming for me,” the televangelist is said to have uttered as he typed ‘amazon.com’ into the web browser. Scrolling through the various pieces of equipment available on the popular online storefront, Copeland filtered through dozens of lower-end, consumer-level shredders until a $24,000.00 industrial model that advertised the ability to shred up to 900 pounds of damning ministry tax documents per hour caught his eye. “Perfect, this one can shred 500 incriminating files at once,” a nervous Copeland said as he perused the powerful, high-volume industrial paper shredder’s impressive statistics. “It can even get rid of 45,000 credit cards in an hour—that should do the trick.” Adding the shredders to his cart and purchasing them on his ministry credit card, Copeland was then seen impatiently refreshing his Amazon tracking information, occasionally pacing to the window and nervously looking out the blinds at every passing helicopter and vehicle, sources confirmed.

bruceg: I have not celebrated Christmas since about 1958, but every December I do calculate the size of my Freezer, and think about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and how much space he would take up, fully dressed-out. .