scotoma

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Posts by scotoma

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  17

  Elder ignores me at Walgreens here in Milwaukee.

  by Joliette in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a month ago i went to walgreens to get some snacks and a newspaper.

  i was walking out when i noticed an elder that i grew up with walking towards me.

  he kinda looked in my direction, the turned his head away and kept walking with his nose in the air.

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  scotoma

  Don't give that Elder the benefit of anonymity. Name him.

  There are probably plenty of people in Milwaukee that will know who he is and it will give them a chance to ignore him.
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  40

  Athiests: Do you ever wonder... what if?

  by toweragent in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'll start by saying, i'm a ministerial servant who is trapped in the religion.

  my wife is hardcore...but i've slowly been getting her to lighten up, so i'll take it!

  all my friends and family are jw's, and i am employed by a jw (who is actually a great boss).

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  scotoma

  I feel the void - the emptiness. But it's because I was filling it with something that didn't exist.

  Now that I am an atheist I look back on a waisted life (almost 70 years).

  If I could get shock treatments and forget what I have come to know I would probably prefer the delusion of the matrix.

  Religion is a powerful drug - the ultimate placebo because it only works if you believe it.
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  2

  The Mind Of Adolf Hitler

  by frankiespeakin in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for those interested in this sort of thing like myself:.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/the_mind_of_adolf_hitler.

  the mind of adolf hitler: the secret wartime report, published in 1972 by basic books, is based on a world war ii report bypsychoanalystwalter c. langer which probed the psychology of adolf hitler from the available information.

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  scotoma

  The mind of Adolf Hitler doesn't need a thousand pages to understand.

  He was obviously obsessive about control and quite narcicisstic.

  He was a master of BullSh*t who believed his own words.

  Words permeated with emotion are very persuasive to cheering crowds.

  The charismatic speaker falls victim to the crowds feedback.

  Reality eventually wins out and the crowds that give life to the fantasy disappear.

  The person suddenly loses their manufactured identity and they are confronted with the fact that they are an empty shell.

  Suicide is an easy out.

  Think Jim Jones and other preachers. Think of JF Rutheford at Beth Sarim

  This type of person can be useful in motivating others. But unless they remain grounded they can be very destructive.
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  22

  most important event in the 20th century

  by scotoma in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  june 28 1914 archduke ferdinand was killed by a serbian government sponsored assassination team.. this was the trigger event of world war i. actually some have called it world war (part 1) followed less than 30 years later by world war (part 2).. in retrospect this was a useful date for jw's.. it has propelled them for 100 years.. of course jw's have massaged their predictions about the significance of 1914 over the years.. do you feel that jw's would be what they are today without that great war?

  do you think that the shooting down of the passenger plane over east ukraine will be an equivalent moment that pushes putin into a corner where he will have to fight the west?

  in other words will we look back on that event as the beginning of world war (part 3)?.

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  scotoma

  jgnat: I purchased his(Pinkers) first three books at half price books. I perused "Better Angels" at the library. Just don't have time to read another Pinker book, honestly.

  Since he is a thinker by temperament he believes reason can accomplish miracles. He simply hasn't lived in my world. All of the things he describes that have made this a less violent world can disappear in a nuclear exchange.

  What if Russia exploded a nuclear weapon in New York City? Not using an ICBM but a small bomb that would give them plausible deniability. It could easily be blamed on terrorists. Even if it were shown that it was a Russian made bomb they could not be held accountable if there was the possibility that some desperate guard allowed access to a nuclear storage depot. It would be similar to trying to assign blame for the downing of the airplane over East Ukraine. The Russians made the missile but that's all you can say and it isn't enough to justify punitive retaliation.

  I know this is the stuff of a Tom Clancy novel but that makes it even more likely. Remember Tom Clancy wrote two novels in the late 90's about pilots flying a Jet airplane into the Capitol building. There have been several movies in the last ten years that have dealt with this kind of nuclear bomb scenario. Warren Buffet said it's not a matter of if but when.

  The USA is fanning the hatred against Russia. The Bric nations don't have a problem with Russia. The Europeans are being reluctantly dragged along by the USA to sanction Russia. If Russia were to pull a terrorist attack on NYC and blame it on the Islamists it would cause a global dissaster. While we are trying to recover. The USA would no longer be a problem in Russia's back yard

  Suddenly, the world could revert to the violence of the ancient world.

  I don't think even Pinker can be positive about the future. Actually any event based on human input that hasn't happened has a 50% chance of occurring. If you can say that some event has a 60% of occurring or not occurring you would have to know something about future events to make such a claim.
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  22

  most important event in the 20th century

  by scotoma in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  june 28 1914 archduke ferdinand was killed by a serbian government sponsored assassination team.. this was the trigger event of world war i. actually some have called it world war (part 1) followed less than 30 years later by world war (part 2).. in retrospect this was a useful date for jw's.. it has propelled them for 100 years.. of course jw's have massaged their predictions about the significance of 1914 over the years.. do you feel that jw's would be what they are today without that great war?

  do you think that the shooting down of the passenger plane over east ukraine will be an equivalent moment that pushes putin into a corner where he will have to fight the west?

  in other words will we look back on that event as the beginning of world war (part 3)?.

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  scotoma

  Jignat;

  I've read just about everything Pinker writes. I am habitually pessimistic. Your comment is obviously optimistic to you. You make a vague estimate of the possibility of overt war between the USA and Russia. Saying the possibility is "remote" lacks a numerical estimate of its probability. Even if the probability of it was .001 I would consider that intolerable when considering the consequences. Remember the USA felt the Japan situation in 1945 was serious enough to use nuclear weapons. And of this date the USA and Russia both have a first-strike policy if they feel they have no other choice.

  On a positive note the US intelligence just made an announcement that they have no proof of Russian involvement of taking down the aircraft.

  "There won't be a Perry Mason moment" is how it was described.

  This is probably because Europeans aren't on board with more sanctions and they want to give Putin a chance to save face.
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  22

  most important event in the 20th century

  by scotoma in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  june 28 1914 archduke ferdinand was killed by a serbian government sponsored assassination team.. this was the trigger event of world war i. actually some have called it world war (part 1) followed less than 30 years later by world war (part 2).. in retrospect this was a useful date for jw's.. it has propelled them for 100 years.. of course jw's have massaged their predictions about the significance of 1914 over the years.. do you feel that jw's would be what they are today without that great war?

  do you think that the shooting down of the passenger plane over east ukraine will be an equivalent moment that pushes putin into a corner where he will have to fight the west?

  in other words will we look back on that event as the beginning of world war (part 3)?.

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  scotoma

  steve2,

  I almost forgot about the atomic bomb. But that was an extension of WWII.

  WWIII would take up where WWII ended - widespread use of nuclear weapons.
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  22

  most important event in the 20th century

  by scotoma in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  june 28 1914 archduke ferdinand was killed by a serbian government sponsored assassination team.. this was the trigger event of world war i. actually some have called it world war (part 1) followed less than 30 years later by world war (part 2).. in retrospect this was a useful date for jw's.. it has propelled them for 100 years.. of course jw's have massaged their predictions about the significance of 1914 over the years.. do you feel that jw's would be what they are today without that great war?

  do you think that the shooting down of the passenger plane over east ukraine will be an equivalent moment that pushes putin into a corner where he will have to fight the west?

  in other words will we look back on that event as the beginning of world war (part 3)?.

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  scotoma

  jgnat:

  Of course they aren't talking direct confrontation. You don't tell your enemy you are going to attack them. You just do it. Otherwise you lose a strategic advantage.

  Pinker sits in an ivory tower. When powerful nations feel they are threatened they kill. World wide wars need world wide alliances.

  If you attack the member of an alliance they will all join the fight. The attack on Iraq and Afghanistan was a coalition forming an ad hoc alliance.

  It has happened recently and it can happen again.
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  22

  most important event in the 20th century

  by scotoma in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  june 28 1914 archduke ferdinand was killed by a serbian government sponsored assassination team.. this was the trigger event of world war i. actually some have called it world war (part 1) followed less than 30 years later by world war (part 2).. in retrospect this was a useful date for jw's.. it has propelled them for 100 years.. of course jw's have massaged their predictions about the significance of 1914 over the years.. do you feel that jw's would be what they are today without that great war?

  do you think that the shooting down of the passenger plane over east ukraine will be an equivalent moment that pushes putin into a corner where he will have to fight the west?

  in other words will we look back on that event as the beginning of world war (part 3)?.

  1. 
  2. 
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• 

  scotoma

  June 28 1914 Archduke Ferdinand was killed by a Serbian government sponsored assassination team.

  This was the trigger event of World War I

  Actually some have called it World War (Part 1) followed less than 30 years later by World War (Part 2).

  In retrospect this was a useful date for JW's.

  It has propelled them for 100 years.

  Of course JW's have massaged their predictions about the significance of 1914 over the years.

  Do you feel that JW's would be what they are today without that Great War?

  Do you think that the shooting down of the passenger plane over East Ukraine will be an equivalent moment that pushes Putin into a corner where he will have to fight the west? In other words will we look back on that event as the beginning of World War (Part 3)?
• 
  49

  Seventeen-and-a-half glorious minutes with the irrepressible Mr Lett

  by rory-ks in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  can't...tear...my...eyes...away.... .

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zx8db7m5mzq.

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  scotoma

  Some meanings of a pinkie ring:

  "Wearing a ring on the little, or pinky, finger of the hand can have any one of a number of meanings, some of which are mutually contradictory. It may also have no other significance at all beyond the personal preference of the wearer.
  
  Homosexuality
  In the 1950s through the 1970s, wearing a pinky ring was sometimes used as a covert sign of male homosexuality. Judy Grahn in her book "Another Mother Tongue" writes that in 1959, the year she came out, that rings worn on the pinky were known as a secret way to communicate homosexuality.
  
  Engineers
  American and Canadian engineers sometimes wear a steel or iron ring to signify oath-bound membership in an engineering fellowship.
  
  Signet Rings and Aristocracy
  The signet ring, a type of ring bearing a family crest and used to seal letters and mark other documents, was traditionally worn on the little finger. As a result, rings worn on the little finger became associated with aristocracy in general.
  
  Organized Crime
  Members of organized crime are reputed to wear pinky rings as well. In more recent times, hip-hop artists with a "gangsta" style adopted pinky rings in imitation of their Italian-American counterparts.
  
  Luck
  Some people believe that wearing a pinky ring can bring the wearer luck. Gamblers, in particular, are prone to sporting one."
  
  Source:
  "Another Mother Tongue;" Judy Grahn; 1984
  
  Order of the Engineer
  
  The Iron Ring
  
  "The New York Times;" Ba-Da-Bing! Thumbs Up for the Pinkie Ring; Jan. 23, 2000

  My personal belief is that Letts pinkie ring is an old secret decoder ring he got in a Kracker Jack Box

  when he was 7 years old. He believes it explains the scriptures to him.

  Jehovah put him in his position to test his people.

  Out of courtesy to him they shouldn't have a guy like that anywhere near a microphone. It is like poking fun of a hunchback.
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  20

  Are we living in the best time in human history, and on the edge at the same time?

  by Fernando in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  personally i believe we are.. your thoughts?.

  how will it turn out?.

  what can/should we do?.

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  scotoma

  You simply cannot ignore the change that nuclear weapons have brought about.

  You may be able to eradicate a disease and confine it to a single sample in a test tube.

  But you can't eradicate the people who know how to make nuclear weapons.

  We forget that the USA used nuclear weapons 69 years ago because they felt that it was better for Japanese civilians to die than American Soldiers.

  The world ISN'T the same.