James Thomas Rook Jr.

...a bit overstated ... but I get the general idea. ...

Sometimes when things seem at their darkest, and you see that New Light Approaching faster and faster ... it's a good idea to make sure that you are not in the middle of train tracks.

If "Tight Pants" are so risque, and get certain Brothers all hot and bothered, and distracting them from their Theocratic duties, Tight Pants Tony would have an absolute stroke over THIS outfit! Perhaps there should be a Watchtower Policy Statement that Kilts have to go down to the ANKLE!, and not have Mylar pillows or spherical orb designs bouncing around on the genital area as the brother walks along. If you ask me, if you are going to wear that outfit outside of Scotland, you better damn well have a sword! Forget the Badges at the Restaurants! We have a full scale "TPT" CRISIS here! By the way... that pillow thingey in front, the Sister is pointing to with astonishment, is called a "TPT Conundrum".

Sometimes Lawyers wear some pretty strange clothing, depending on the Venue.

,,, My beard was neat, well groomed, and gad a well-behaved and respectful nest of hamsters ....

The reason Rutherford did not have a beard is that it would have made him look like a Giant Mouse.

I remember seeing on the news years ago some minority protest group complaining "Washington never pays any attention to US!" My immediate thought was "I wish Washington would not pay any attention to ME!" If the GB all go to heaven, perhaps God will have them counting clouds, or something.

Biddy: Thanks for that. It encouraged me a LOT .. and I am very hard to encourage.

To make a very long story very short, almost to the point of abbreviation .... and trying to stay on topic .... In the past 57 years, I have been in the "little back room, Room 101", about 17 times, being "counseled" by Elders that did not like "something" about me ... that I worked a lot of overtime, that I rode a Honda 350 motorcycle to the Kingdom Hall, that I "refused" to provide a telephone for my wife, ad nauseum ... and I REALLY HATE BULLIES! ... but I digress ... and about 8 or so of those times it was to get me to cut off my beard. One time it was because of my mustache. During the 60's it was because my hair came down just perceptively below the collar. In one congregation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I had no problem with the beard ... and even got a recommendation letter to go work at the Bethel Branch Office construction in Peru ... and in all others, I was castigated, and even forbidden to go out in Service until I shaved off my beard. After eight discussions, and no valid scriptural reasoning, all joy in doing what I was doing was destroyed ... but it bothered me A LOT that stuff like this was being inflicted on the global Brotherhood, in almost EVERY congregation I had ever attended. If they could do it to me... they WERE doing it to other Brothers ... and things similar to this. Based on all available real evidence, it seemed to me that in order to be a watchtower approved Elder you had to be qualified as follows: 1.) clueless 2.) petty 3.) irrational 4.be a "Company Man", through and through. 5.) and have no pangs of conscience whatsoever for being a bully. To be fair, I have also run across Engineers and Doctors that shared these traits, but they did not operate in an environment that ENCOURAGED this behavior. The other day I mentioned in a comment that I envied Anna, and she replied that she knew that ... because she still seems to have the joy in the Truth that has been systematically beaten out of me. I miss the man I used to be. A lot! I did have a choice, however ... either "get with the program", or keep my self respect. It has gotten better over the years, but only marginally, but I have endured things far, far worse that these things I have mentioned ... and I will endure things like this also. When my Dad died, about ten years ago, he asked me to shave off my beard ... he also never liked it .... and I have been clean shaven since then. I loved my Dad. I HATE BULLIES! I am 72 now, and in marginal health .... and can see the end of the "conveyor belt" on which I stand, and it bothers me. I am too old and fragile to carry on my back bags of heavy stones for someone else's entertainment.

... assuming wheels, and not high heels!

Moi? I am stopped... you should see me when I gets t'rollin' ! I can out drag a Chevrolet.

It's the future of TANNING !

... must be some very particular picky eaters to distinguish between "plant plankton" and "animal plankton"..... These are microscopic (or close) animals that are all mixed together in a thin soup. There is ZERO chance oceanic life can discriminate, any more than if you could discriminate between two different types of tomatoes used in a blended tomato soup... through a straw. Whales do not eat whales, or dolphins, or sharks, as a general rule. You do know what a Baleen Whale is, don't you? If you don't ... please look it up, and THINK about it!

.... and baby eaglets are not going to be too happy ..... for their VERY short lives ..... when the Mama Bald Eagle brings home straw and grass, instead of rabbits, mice, and fish.

wHEW! I was drinking a mug of coffee when I read that Melinda.... the spray missed the keyboard and got all over my legs. I am in my underwear so no real problem. Visualize in your mind a balanced Ocean ecology eating vegetable matter ..... the first things to die off will be Baleen Whales, who filter Krill by the ton, daily, with their specialized mouth that will ONLY do that, and the Krill will reproduce a quadrillion fold, turning the Earth's oceans in a malignant soup of dead and decaying starved Krill. ...and the dead Baleen Whales. etc. etc.

People are going to get weary to the bone of growing and harvesting straw, forever and ever, to throw into the ocean to feed all the sea life there .... and the sharks will not be happy about it, either. Hint No. 1.) STAY IN THE BOAT Hint No. 2.) GET A BIGGER BOAT !

If memory serves (?) that scripture also says "In my Holy Mountain" or something like that. In the world at large, animals have to eat each other, or in the New World, we will be deluged by a half-mile high Tsunami of ravenous rodents, etc., ad infinitum. Animals can be trained to live together in peace and harmony ... I see something like that between my five dogs and 16 chickens ....but if I fed my dogs straw ... all bets are off.

In the "next town over" Congregation one Elder had two daughters, who got multiple Tattoos, (shoulder and base of spine), and Dad threw them out ( I do not know the age, but one of my sons dated the older Sister, while he was in High School.....), The younger sister was "lost" to the world, the older one came back and married an Elder about 40 years older than she was.. (raised eyebrows and astonishment all the way around...). When speaking about people ... there is truly INFINITE variety.

I found it curious how you phrased "".... but many girls of reality ... ", as if Witness girls are somehow divorced from reality.. ... merely a curious semantic slip ...

Money is the catalyst that changes all people. Especially as in the case of Prognosticators. I avoided the movie for several decades, reasoning "I don't want to go see a movie about a fake prophet stupid groundhog !" ... but it is an adorable move, with a LOT of subtle, low key, but memorable comedy moments, and several important insights. I have seen the movie "Groundhog day" about four times. It has helped make me the man I am today!

They, the men of lawlessness, have ALWAYS been atheists ... flying false flags, because people will salute these false flags, and pledge allegiance to these false flags, and slave for these false flags, and contribute money, real estate and assets of every description, and march to the cadence of the drummers of these false flags. That is the nature of all people. Nothing new. But basically, these men of lawlessness have ALWAYS been atheists. They are men of lawlesness BECAUSE they put their own warped "theology", policies, and practices before those of God's. Consummate, skilled con men who know that to pick pockets, the marks have to be given something of value to sustain them, and keep the illusion of beneficence alive. That is not how it starts .... but that is how it ALWAYS ends up. The catalyst is lots of free money.

You make evil seem so easy and effortless, Billy ... I guess that's what happens when you have natural talent !