James Thomas Rook Jr.

12 minutes ago, Arauna said:

The "perception"  is that we are weak..... 

No, the perception is that we are complete fools .

Sending 8 million letters (x 7 letters, average) to people who would never read them did NOTHING but put approximately 57 million dollars in the Russian Treasury, from the Universal Postal Union's "Terminal Fee" arrangement where they get 70% of the face value of affixed postage from foreign mail, that was never delivered, and 11 train boxcars loaded with paper to burn in their pot-bellied stoves during the long Russian Winters..

You can buy a LOT of Vodka with 57 million dollars of free money, courtesy of the Governing Body, whose directed effort was totally useless .... except to during that winter, provide "Fuel at the proper time".

It is immoral to let a fool keep his money, freedom, and property.

That is how the Russians have ALWAYS thought.

In America we have the right to bear arms.

In Russia, they have the right to the entire bear.

...People that think they are of the Anointed, and should be in heaven, ruling, never want to listen to their "inner voice", and "get on the bus now".

.....soon enough

.... we will all know.

.... here's yer sign !

..... depends on the observer .... I see them as very predictable.

... what actually happens remains to be seen.

.... probably in expectation of pork chops.

I was in NYC in the mid 1960's, during the height of the "Hippie Years", getting ready to cross the street at a traffic light, and there was a man lying in the gutter in front of me. He held up one hand, and looked at me, saying " Hey man ... call me an ambulance!".

So I looked down and said "O.K., man .... you're an ambulance!"

...time to stock up on barbecue sauce and Cajun spices !

To put all this in a reasonable perspective, in NYC, EVERY DAY (2015 data), someone dies of natural causes, which there might include gunshot wounds, every 3.4 minutes, or 420 per day, excluding any coronavirus data.

There are 1,440 minutes in a 24 hour day, so if 67 people died of coronavirus in that 24 hour period,, then there was a death from coronavirus every 21.5 minutes .... NOT very 9.5 minutes, as stated.

In this news article there were TWO serious errors, specifically designed to sell news copy, by scaring you.

"If it bleeds, it leads".

No, I just understand how the real world works.

I guess it is in small part by reading somewhere around 40 Isaac Asimov's books, including the Foundation Series, with the fictional mathematics professor Hari Seldon, who developed an algorithmic science he called :"Psychohistory", that effectively allowed him to predict the future probabilisticaly, mathematically analyzing social structures, and that inoculated me to a level of awareness I now have confidence in.

For those late comers, I predicted over and over, here, before the fall of last year, that this year, 2020, before the end of the year, that Vladimir Putin would cause the persecution to be lifted from Jehovah's Witnesses, and their property returned to them, based on my understanding of the man, the times, the politics, and the fictional idea that psychohistory has a real basis.

Also, it is no sweat off of my brow if I am wrong, as I have the best excuse ever.

I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and with all the terrific things we do, and are, about predicting the future, we have ALWAYS been wrong.

I stand by my prediction ... and it is worth every cent you paid for it.

Since I am never insulted, even when someone is trying hard to do so, when you came up with the moniker, I kinda liked it.

Sorta like when BroomHilda called all those who appreciated Trump "deplorables"..

They instantly (coming from her) took it as a badge of honor, and had "deplorable" Tee shirts and hats printed up.

However, I did not feel at the time you were trying to insult me, and that thought did not, and would never have occurred to me.

..... and, as a Barbarian, I thought it was kinda funny!

7 minutes ago, Kosonen said:

1 Corinthians 13:7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

And that is why I stay one of Jehovah's Witnesses .. when I know full well the unintended evil that men do, with the very best of intentions.

...... been there...

.... done that.

If you really want to know what TRUE love is ... get some cord and tie a pork chop around your neck, lay on the floor on your back, and pour onto your chest a box of puppies !

It's a LOT easier than theological dissertations!

That's how I got the nickname "Ol' Pork Chop".

.... they are, for rooftop access,  required to furnish their own monogrammed body bags ... for easy identification.

You would think that Catholics would love to hear continuous Christmas music, too.

Ever listen to the Christmas song on the radio, six times a day, from the day after Thanksgiving, to the end of December, "The Little Drummer Boy" ( rum-pa-pum-pum- rum-pa-pum-pum- rum-pa-pum-pum- rum-pa-pum-pum- rum-pa-pum-pum- rum-pa-pum-pum- rum-pa-pum-pum- )?

This is why they have six diving boards at the top of the Vatican office buildings.

Ya gotta have skin ...... keeps yer insides .... in.

21 minutes ago, TrueTomHarley said:

People are so full of themselves today.

Who else would they be full of?

It's too long.

Anything more than two paragraphs... two SHORT paragraphs will not be read.

I wanted to, but my eyes glazed over and I faded out.

...after I wrote the above, I went back and scanned the BOLD type, for about 6 seconds, and got the general idea.

The thought just occurred to me that in our culture, since about the year 1818, there are literary examples of "One Body" made up of many parts, as outlined by Swiss Dr. Victor Frankenstein..

I will have to admit, Russian women COULD knock you out!

I agree with most of what 4J says as a matter of philosophy, but consider his view of what "facts" he stated being relevant to be distorted.

One pilot will consider his aircraft's fuel supplies half full ... another will consider it half empty.

What is important is not digging holes in a corn field.

It is my considered opinion that NO ONE is equal to anyone else, any more than those who are good with whatever it is they DO, are equal to those who are NOT good at whatever it is that they do.

It is skills applied, whatever talent you have or do not have naturally, that makes us equal (sometimes).

I struggled for many years to become a skilled photographer in High School, and was one of several  High School Yearbook Photographer for three years, and turned out some pretty crappy work, sometimes, and wasted a LOT of film and photo paper and chemicals.  

But I knew at my very best, I could not compete with Tom Thurston, the previous Yearbook Photographer, as he had talent, far superior equipment, money and background.

We were NOT equal ...... ever.

He was always better than me, in EVERY way.

... as a photographer, and  in many other ways as well.

.... but then again .... I heard he was killed in Vietnam.

... I have the edge.

5 minutes ago, TrueTomHarley said:

Sigh.....the idiots

Probably not ...just too inexperienced to know what is really important, and what is realistically possible.

I used to be like that.

In a way, I am jealous.

I know too much.

Wann have some fun?

Plug in an X-Box Game controller !

2 hours ago, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

t is clear from the Bible that God works THROUGH the Congregations.

What do you suggest is BETTER than what I have now?

4J:

You failed the test I use.

You have different criteria than I use.