conflicted89, the reason they are barely catching up is because the org is directed by a bunch of technophones as well. Ultra conservatives that never thought that technology was going to come close to religion. They could see that technology was going to change the world... the way we shop and travel. This is evident in some of the early publications regarding the internet. But I don't think it occurred to them technology could bring about social and political change to the scale it did. No one really understood the power of technology in social and political change until the Arab Spring (coincidentally in 2012 as well) and the Obama election. From this perspective they were not too late. However, if they had foreseen sooner that technology was going to have this impact, then they would have been way ahead of the curve. Their lack of interest on the subject blinded them.
StarTrekAngel
JoinedPosts by StarTrekAngel
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Looking back to what happened since sept 2012... i must say its brilliant !
by insidetheKH inwho thought in the early months of 2012 that such a rebranding would take place in only a matter of 24 months?.
they managed to go from an antique looking and boring website (watchtower.org) with hardly any attractive content to go to a fresh looking new website with stuff for everyone, families, children, teenagers.. movies, and short videos about almost everything and new ones added every month.
cartoons, animation video's , interviews, picture activities all kind of projects, many audio files like dramatic bible readings, dramas and music, online research tools, new brochures for kids (off and online) etc.
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Looking back to what happened since sept 2012... i must say its brilliant !
by insidetheKH inwho thought in the early months of 2012 that such a rebranding would take place in only a matter of 24 months?.
they managed to go from an antique looking and boring website (watchtower.org) with hardly any attractive content to go to a fresh looking new website with stuff for everyone, families, children, teenagers.. movies, and short videos about almost everything and new ones added every month.
cartoons, animation video's , interviews, picture activities all kind of projects, many audio files like dramatic bible readings, dramas and music, online research tools, new brochures for kids (off and online) etc.
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StarTrekAngel
I don't think that really matters much. It is expected that they will be ahead of us... if not, we would not need whistleblowers. The real issues here is the effect on its members and the damage caused to families. We should be happy if the pressure the internet puts on them end up creating a positive change. Many of the old timers would not forget, but at least moving forward things would be different. I don't believe they are going to go public and start preaching the same hateful doctrines they preach among the closed quarters of the KH. Eventually things would have to equalize. I am a bit skeptic in this sense. While it sickens me to think how many lives have been taken, I also see that there might be a small turn in their path. One with longer term effects that may result in a more regular, mainstream religion that has less and less intrusion into your life. I know it sound crazy but the subtle signs are there (some more subtle than others). They can't bring about too much change too quick, it would scare some away.
Did you see the July 2014 WT? Read the first two articles again and tell me if it does not point at a chance in the treatment of apostates? There is even a picture of Timothy arguing with one in front of the congregation. That would never happen in real life. I spoke with an apologist and he recognized the same hint at a change (without me mentioning it)
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StarTrekAngel
I would not be surprised if they eventually, after an online only test run, they decide to go on cable. If they see enough dontaions coming in as a result. The fiber network they will get from QCS would be one of the tools needed for this.
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"You can't Disfellowship me ......."
by Phizzy inif i ever get the threat of being df'd i think i will say :.
" the religion i left a few years ago no longer exists, you can't disfellowship me from a religion that i never had fellowship in !"..
i know this will make no difference at all, as would whatever i said if they had made up their minds, but it would point out how very very silly the whole idea would be.. any other ideas to briefly sum up what a stupid thing dfing is ?.
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StarTrekAngel
TableForOne, did that really worked? or were you joking?
I am still in good standing but have not gone to field service in 3 months. Just had my first ministry school talk since awaken (still have to play the part). I know the day is coming when questions will be asked and answers will not be found. If I ever go in front of a JC, my plan at this stage is...
- I will go, argue, and let them do their thing. Hopefully this one elder I know will be present. (the most arrogant)
- I will proceed to appeal
- Technically the elder in question would have to present himself for the appeal.
- I will then argue that my DFing can not be upheld because holy spirit was not present during my JC
- When they ask how could I possibly say that, I will show the facebook page of the elder, where he is following porn stars
It will be a nice experiement. Promise to apply the scientific method.
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Watchtower/Telecom Ownership Agreement!
by Atlantis inwatchtower-qcstelecom ownership agreement.. .
re: petition to transfer ownership of qcstelecom, inc., to watchtower bible and tract society.
http://documents.dps.ny.gov/public/common/viewdoc.aspx?docrefid=%7b57614a3f-7101-408a-8b25-b3499530db5a%7d.
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StarTrekAngel
Agreed! see my post above. this isn't just going to benefit the regular consumer. It is oriented to businesses as well. By comparing the watchtower complexes to the likes of small communitites that have a big economic impact, they could justify getting the grant. WT can not get the grant but QCS can.
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Watch Tower Society holds GOVERNMENT SHARES!
by LennaB insecurities and exchange commission: http://www.sec.gov/archives.... name: the watchtower society .
class a shares owned: 5,073,200. percentage of class a shares owned: 44.94%.
rand cam corporation - developers of cold turbine engine project, funded by the u.s. military (navy).. what happen to 1.having no polictical/government affiliantion?
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StarTrekAngel
While I share the opinion of the majority here, I do understand where Gustv comes from. I am in a hispanic community and I am hispanic myself. While nothing justifies what is being done, it is true that you can not bring this up as an issue to someone who do not understand the implications. This does not necesarily applies to an etnicity in particular but just so happens that it applies to most hispanics in a sense. I don't think Gustv meant to say all hispanics were careless. Most younger kids, specially those to be the first or second generation born in the US, have a much higer level of education than that of their parent or their grand parents. Their parents and grandparents, at the same time, are the ones that are currently in charge of running the KH they attend. Since most of the growth of the org is coming from inside, it add to the equation. It has been my experience as a hispanic that no one in your house would consider your intelligence, even if you went to college. For the life of me, my mom never allowed me to mess with the sound system of our car, despite having a working knowledge of it. She could brag about my academic achievements to others, but then not allow me to flip the light switch, afraid I was going to cause a fire.
While I like to re iterate that I strongly oppose the hipcrisy of the watchtower, I also understand by experience that not one issue will bring the same weight to everyone. What makes a person sick regarding childe abuse, can make another peson shrug off and walk away. Sounds crazy but with so much desinformation within the congs it is easy to dismiss the subjects. While we are all very familiar with the details of the hallmark cases against the watchtower, many will give you the common answer "we don't know all the details". In the most conservative of hispanic communities, people would never, ever allow their children to spend too much time with strangers, even if they are JWs or even realtives. You bring up a Candance Conti to them and they would tell you that the parents are at fault. They are not careless about child abuse, it is just that they feel they got it under control and so, just as you all here, feel that everyone should think the same way.
If you keep up with the news, you realize sometimes how crazy, for example, wars are. One journalist would tell you how many targets were attacked against ISIS and make sound like victory, another journalists would tell you how economically inefficitent it is to destroy a $500 dollar vechicle with a million dollar missile.
You just can't use the same amunition for everything. This also applies to theocratic warfare, from both sides of the war.
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Watchtower/Telecom Ownership Agreement!
by Atlantis inwatchtower-qcstelecom ownership agreement.. .
re: petition to transfer ownership of qcstelecom, inc., to watchtower bible and tract society.
http://documents.dps.ny.gov/public/common/viewdoc.aspx?docrefid=%7b57614a3f-7101-408a-8b25-b3499530db5a%7d.
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StarTrekAngel
There might be more to just needing a telecom company.
Not that this is anything new but I know I've seen several members question WT intentions on this. I do not have much information on QCS Telecom (the company itself) but certainly agree that it is fishy to think that the WTBTS would invest in a company with no current employees or customers. I know the purchase price was pennies relatively speaking. But yet, if they are promising to buy all of QCS services to carry out the fiber optic installation, then the purchase price is not the sole expense incurred.
I am in the telecomunications business and have been for the past 10 years. I am not a business man, I am a technical person but I do get involved or participate on the why and how of business decision at my job. There are two types of telecom businesses, ILECs and CLEC. An ILEC is your typical phone company, although defined as those companies that were present before Bell was split. A CLEC is a telecom company that actually needs to compete with others and win customers in order to make financial sense. Both types have regulations that they need to follow, where the ILEC is generally much more heavily regulated. ILEC also enjoy cash infusions from the Universal Service Fund (A fee we all pay in our telephone service) and specially if they are dedicated to serve high cost or unserved areas. CLECs in the other hand do not get this, but they can be, under certain cirscunstances, subsididiares of an ILEC which is operateed by the same employees of the ILEC.
CLECs can, however, participate in government grants. The company I work for is an ILEC, which in turn also works with a subsidiary (a CLEC). We do all kinds of telecom work, telephone, internet, long distance, data transport, etc. We also bury lots and lots of fiber optic cable.
A few years ago we were awarded a huge grant that was part of the ARRA and other moneys thru the USDA. Everything amounted to over 80 million. This money was to be dedicated to install brand new infrastructure for unserved areas. This was such widespread program, that during 2012 there was an actual shortage of fiber optic supply around the US. The municipalities that were to benefit from this gave us permission to use empty lots as places to store the massive wooden spools of fiber cable
This programs have not stopped. While the initial funds have served their purpose, other programs have come up. One is the CAF (Connect America Fund) which will come to replace USF in a few years. Another is the broadband initiative started by the Obama admin. There is also a new one called "Rural Broadband Experiment" funded by the FCC (Could be some other agency)
Where I am going with all these? That while I could be bias by my enviroment, but the only reason I can think of the WTBTS buying such company, could be to rip the benefits of government funding. They could not qualify for this grants by themselves, they are not a telecom company. Neither could have QCS built the fiber and then sell it to WT. QCS, having no customers, could not qualify for the grants. Even us, with over 10000 customers, we needed to justify our grant by bringing in anchor institutions (like universities and large hospitals) who could write a reference for us, saying that they truly needed us to serve their areas.
The one thing that catches my eye from the documents regarding the purhcase of QCS is the mention of small communities and their economic impact. Most of the programs aboved mentioned are geared towards small or economically challenged communities, where viable broadband services are not available. Also, QCS could not qualify for the grant without any meaninful backing from a third party "investor". Having the WTBTS sign over a promise of buying 100% of the output of services, grants QCS the success they need to qualify.
As to why they need to run a telecom company? Well, if it is not just to get someone else to pay for the infrastructure, then having an internet inside the internet, and therefore control content, is not far fetched. Entire countries already do this. It is not utterly difficult. They would need a large datacenter for this, but it is not impossible. The difficult part would be getting everyone to subscribe. It only takes one to break such system. I know I would be the one.
My ignorant two cents..
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I FIND THIS TROUBLING . . . DISTURBING . . . PUZZLING . . .
by Terry ini stumbled on to this on youtube.. i began watching it.
at first i thought it was funny.. then, something changed.
i began to realize two things.. first of all, there are 2 sides to this, and both sides have a point.. if law enforcement does not have a legal right to stop and question you .
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StarTrekAngel
Thanks jgnat. I guess I forgot to mention that the hall was built no more than 2 years ago. It was a tremendous event for JWs in the area. Many many thousands saw it a blessing from Jehovah because they would now be able to attend the 3 day assemblies. Many very needy brothers went as far as buying new suits for this special days. Not sure what happened this year. I asked several of these brothers in our cong on to wether they were able to attend an assembly to an alternate location and they responded with very sad faces.
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I FIND THIS TROUBLING . . . DISTURBING . . . PUZZLING . . .
by Terry ini stumbled on to this on youtube.. i began watching it.
at first i thought it was funny.. then, something changed.
i began to realize two things.. first of all, there are 2 sides to this, and both sides have a point.. if law enforcement does not have a legal right to stop and question you .
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StarTrekAngel
Believe me when I say there is plenty of surveilanace around here. until no so long ago we had drones flying over our yards. They now resorted to flying a tethered blimp that they brought back from Afghanistan. I can see it from my office, 18 miles away. From my house is more like a mile away. Can't walk out to the yard naked anymore.
I have a plenty of border stories to tell but if you watch Border Wars, it would probably be much more exciting. When you hear McAllen TX or La Joya, then thats my hood.
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I FIND THIS TROUBLING . . . DISTURBING . . . PUZZLING . . .
by Terry ini stumbled on to this on youtube.. i began watching it.
at first i thought it was funny.. then, something changed.
i began to realize two things.. first of all, there are 2 sides to this, and both sides have a point.. if law enforcement does not have a legal right to stop and question you .
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StarTrekAngel
I live on the Texas-Mexico border. There are checkpoints on every road headed north. Anywhere from 25 to 50 miles from the border. The agents are mostly hispanic because that is all there is in the area. The area of the Rio Grande Valley of Texas is 98% hispanic. Many people only speak spanish. Not to say I have anything against it, I am hispanic myself.
The reason this seems odd is not because this has anything to do with what the police can or can not do to you. The truth is that these inmigration checkpoints are technically inconstitutional. That is the one thing the guy on the video is fighting about. Had this been an argument with state trooper instead of an inmigration officer, he would have not gotten away with it.
Sad to say, but if the guy driving was a hispanic, he would not have gotten away with it either. It is also true that we hispanics get more discrimination from those of our same etnicity.
Funny story, since we are at it. Because many in the RGV are no legal residents (I would say 50% of those who attend KH in the area), they are no able to travel north to Houston or places like that. This summer we had a string of both, international and regular conventions going on in Houston and other cities. Many from my area were not able to attend. Had they attempted to do so, they would have been deported (every car gets checked). Despite having recently built a 5 million dollar assembly hall in the area, no assemblies were brought to the area. The assembly hall sat empty the entire summer. The "undocumented" brothers had no assembly, despite being such a significant year for JWs
What happened? Did the F&D slave forgot about thousands of fellow slaves? or were they not financially significant?