James Thomas Rook Jr.

Some of his observations that are remembered:

— "We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the universe. That makes us something very special."

— "Life would be tragic if it weren't funny."

— "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge."

— "For millions of years, mankind lived just like the animals. Then something happened which unleashed the power of our imagination. We learned to talk and we learned to listen. Speech has allowed the communication of ideas, enabling human beings to work together to build the impossible. Mankind's greatest achievements have come about by talking, and its greatest failures by not talking. It doesn't have to be like this. Our greatest hopes could become reality in the future. With the technology at our disposal, the possibilities are unbounded. All we need to do is make sure we keep talking."

— "My goal is simple. It is a complete understanding of the universe, why it is as it is and why it exists at all."

— "I believe the simplest explanation is, there is no God. No one created the universe and no one directs our fate. This leads me to a profound realization that there probably is no heaven and no afterlife either. We have this one life to appreciate the grand design of the universe and for that, I am extremely grateful."

— "Although I cannot move and I have to speak through a computer, in my mind I am free."

— "If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn't turn out very well for the Native Americans."

— "We are in danger of destroying ourselves by our greed and stupidity. We cannot remain looking inwards at ourselves on a small and increasingly polluted and overcrowded planet."

— "My disabilities have not been a significant handicap in my field, which is theoretical physics. Indeed, they have helped me in a way by shielding me from lecturing and administrative work that I would otherwise have been involved in. I have managed, however, only because of the large amount of help I have received from my wife, children, colleagues and students. I find that people in general are very ready to help, but you should encourage them to feel that their efforts to aid you are worthwhile by doing as well as you possibly can."

It is not so amazing that the Dancing Bear dances well ..... but that it dances at all.

He was truly a magnificent man, doing what he could do .... and DID do ... with his crushing disabilities.

One of the very few really deserving  Media Superstars.

I had six copies of his book,  "A Brief History of Time", to give to others, as I REALLY appreciated how he kept himself alive  through sheer willpower all those many years, and it renewed my interest in Quantum Physics and Cosmology.

I re-read it about every six years.

He was wrong about the "arrow of time" in his book .... time does not reverse when the Universe supposedly would collapse unto the "Big Crunch", which really lets the air out of his book ... but it is still a magnificent read.

Completely outdated ... but a A MUST READ book, nonetheless.

2 hours ago, Gone Away said:

That's to say nothing of a number of other sets that lately graced the paper dump mountain at the local municipal recycling centre! Some others, I hear, were sent skywards in garden bonfires

Yeah ... after my second wife abandoned me to die, ten years ago, I rounded up all the old un-placed Watchtowers in the house after I recovered somewhat, and burned them in a metal drum in my side yard.  I fed that fire for two and a half days.

I did not feel comfortable sending them to the Municipal Landfill.

19 hours ago, TrueTomHarley said:

In fact, it was. It is contained in that article forbidding the use of copyrighted materials including artwork and logos, and the suggestion that Bethel may go after even friends who do this.

It is my understanding that in the USA, the JW.ORG logo is not and cannot be copyrighted because it is too general an image, or is too similar to someone else's copyright.

There was extensive discussion of this about three years ago, here on the Archive .... perhaps an update would be helpful.

http://www.jw-archive.org/post/89033437113/us-patent-office-and-watchtower-bible-and-tract

I wish the Society would pay as much attention to Justice, and fairness, and equity, as they do trying to keep other people from quoting them when they shoot themselves in the foot, and using "their" logos.

I can understand that they might object to the Tight Pants Tony full length Dakimakura "Love Pillow" with the JW.ORG logo discreetly covering the nether regions.

Different people have different ways to overcome the grief of a loved one, or someone whose life they particularly appreciated.

I was particularly saddened  at the deaths of Robert A. Heinlein, and Richard Boone, the actor.

I have found, after much thought and meditation on the matter, that the best way for me to stay happy after someone dies, is to appreciate the fact that it wasn't me.

Oh Man!  THAT'S the way I like my steaks cooked ... crunchy on the outside and pinkish grey in the middle!

My wife and I eat at least 4 times a week at the Golden Corral, and for $ 8.00 each "feast out" (before 4PM it's cheaper...), but I can't get them to make my steaks like THIS one!

If you eat only once a day, as is our custom .... it's cheaper than buying groceries !

A LOT cheaper.

(and no preparation time, and NO DISHES!)

I wish I could give that THREE upvotes !

I have OFTEN thought about buying that model firearm.

Perhaps with a black, plain western style holster with a platinum or silver chess piece symbol on the side of the holster.

The only problem is I would have to move to San Francisco, across from the Stock Exchange, in the Hotel Carlton.

( inside joke .... )

1 hour ago, Queen Esther said:

VERY  GOOD....    ROOM  FOR  ANOTHER  TOPIC !!    ALL  YOUR  COMMENTS  NOW  FAR  AWAY  FROM  THE  TITLE  --  BETTER  START  ANOTHER,  MAYBE  LEGO - POST, hahahahahaaaaaa     

Oh, I dunno .... I have in fact actually stepped on Legos on the floor, in the dark ... with bare feet ....  in the middle of the night, and I ASSURE you .... It's Memorial !!

After Trump won the election, so many Liberal Snowflake college students were stressed out that they had to make safe spaces on campus where it was prohibited to mention that Trump had won the election, and the students were supplied with teddy bears, and crayons, and coloring books ... all at government expense.

The administrators considered providing them therapy puppies to relieve their stress, but were afraid the students would eat them.

My favorite beer is Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer ... which my much-more sophisticated children think is incredibly droll, and back woods.

I make a point of telling people ... like I am doing now .... that I much prefer Pabst over any of the many very pricey and "cool" beers they drink, and watch them screw up their faces and go "Ewwwww!", at the very mention of Pabst.

Then I mention "You know, Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer is the favorite beer of Clint Eastwood ....".

It is interesting to watch their disgust turn to confusion and acceptance in just three heartbeats.

... such is the power of peer pressure.

There is no one currently alive that is "cooler" than Clint Eastwood.

Huh?

Naw ... I was thinking about very old microwaved a dozen times, cheese.

If you have ever stepped in a Lego in the darkness, in bare feet, that other stuff might come to mind ....

Ever come home from work and in trying to determine why your VCR is not working, discover the cassette opening is the same size as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?

...just think of melted Legos as very old cheese.

( four months later ....)

Several weekend meetings ago, the CC made the comment at the WT Study ...  "We should be peacemakers ... a turtle is a peaceful animal, but it is not a peacemaker ... we need to be peacemakers!"

How do you "make peace" with a terrorist who barges into your Kingdom Hall and starts shooting people?

Only one way I know about ... and that is to kill him as quickly as possible.

Please feel free to throw your cell phone in a high cometary arc across the aisles, and knock the gun out of his hand.

Back when dueling was legal, Fathers often solved the problem without a lot of discussion.

9 hours ago, Dennis Gilman said:

Since I have already said that you can keep your opinion, tat already shows that I don't expect you to agree with nor adopt my opinion.

15 hours ago, Dennis Gilman said:

Whoever did that, please remove the facsimile and replace it with a quote; even if it is verbatim.

These two quotes taken in context show you DO expect others to agree with your opinion.

Irrationality:  Believing two completely opposing things at the same time.

4 hours ago, Dennis Gilman said:

....  you state that you " believe EVERYTHING that we do, down to the last jot and tittle of minutiae, should be public, open, transparent, and that we should be PROUD of it!".  I will forever disagree with that!

Why?

You certainly have the right to have any opinions you want that do not have a rational basis for adopting ... but by definition, please realize that to have no rational reason ....  makes you by your OWN defining precepts, an irrational person.

To paraphrase a popular expression:

"Opinions are like bodily orifices, everybody has at least five."

13 minutes ago, Dennis Gilman said:

You keep your view and I will keep mine.  A facsimile is inappropriate in my opinion.

Absolutely NOTHING wrong with holding that opinion.

What is WRONG is when you expect others to adopt it, without telling them real and valid reasons to do so.

For SOME people ... a real and valid reason MIGHT be because you are cute, and they like you.

For me ... that just does not cut it.

I need to know ......

WHY? !

2 hours ago, Dennis Gilman said:

As I said, I have no problem with quoting the contents of the letter for the very reasons you all  have stated.  Notwithstanding that, my objection is to the posting of the facsimile.  It is unnecessary and totally inappropriate to use the facsimile to give "greater credibility to the authenticity of the information being relayed".

Whoever did that, please remove the facsimile and replace it with a quote; even if it is verbatim.

Well ... I do have a problem with removing the facsimile,  for the reasons I have stated previously, and further, find it completely necessary and appropriate that it be shown as is by whoever the original poster was.

In order to censor information with prior restraint there has to be a clear and present danger of consequences far beyond anything you have previously stated ... because you FEEL it is unnecessary and inappropriate.

What if I said I FEEL it is unnecessary and inappropriate that you have a profile photograph with eye glasses?  I may FEEL strongly that like Clark Kent, you are trying to HIDE your identity by wearing eye glasses ( .. a stupid idea, I even thought so when I was young and reading Superman Comic Books ...).

You are not in Kansas, anymore, Dennis .... you are in a land that if you come up with something stupid and foolish ... BECAUSE you "feel" it is inappropriate, your prerogatives  are laughed at ...

Oh, and by the way.... you STILL have NOT answered the question WHY.

There has to be a reality based hard fact nitty-gritty, down where the rubber meets the road REASON ... OTHER than how you "feel".

That is why I asked you WHY.

Snowflakes that pout and whine when things don't suit them is not a reason that rational people will respond to,  except in certain venues.

You are not in Kansas, anymore.

If we do it YOUR way, it is one foot on the slippery slope to tyranny, ignorance, and injustice by the clueless, confusing cultural preferences as justifiable overreaching and arrogant edicts to others ... having the very best motives ... as they think they are doing the will of Jehovah.

There is too much of that "going around".

That is why in Europe, after spending a billion hours in Field Service in 2017 ... there is a net loss of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Rational, sane people who love Liberty and Truth do not like the "Everything that is not permitted, is forbidden." philosophy.

It creates rebellion where there was none before.

If we could manage to abandon that and similar ingrained cultural philosophies, we would not have to knock on THEIR doors ..... THEY WOULD BE KNOCKING ON OURS!

This is WHY this facimile should stand as presented.

Oh ... and one last very real reason the facsimile is BETTER ... it gives increased confidence that the information has not been "quote mined", as people who lack integrity do to try and make a point that agrees with their agenda, when the author did NOT mean what was presented in the "quotation".

Agenda driven Quote Mining out of context, is INTENDED to deceive, and is flat out EVIL.

If you have an argument to the contrary, this is the place to insert it into the Arena Of Ideas for trial by combat ... and see if it holds up to rational scrutiny .

I would like to read  it.

3 hours ago, Melinda Mills said:

(Mark 9:38-42) ³⁸ John said to him: “Teacher, we saw someone expelling demons by using your name, and we tried to prevent him, because he was not following us.” ³⁹ But Jesus said: “Do not try to prevent him, for there is no one who will do a powerful work on the basis of my name who will quickly be able to say anything bad about me. ⁴⁰ For whoever is not against us is for us. ⁴¹ And whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, I tell you truly, he will by no means lose his reward. ⁴² But whoever stumbles one of these little ones who have faith, it would be better for him if a millstone that is turned by a donkey were put around his neck and he were pitched into the sea.

In the CONTEXT of what Dennis Gilman had said.... THIS was the Scripture I had in mind.

1 hour ago, Dennis Gilman said:

Facsimiles of letter to the elders should never be posted on sites like this, no matter what the content.

Why?

I think that they should .... It gives greater credibility to the authenticity of the information being relayed, and I believe EVERYTHING that we do, down to the last jot and tittle of minutiae, should be public, open, transparent, and that we should be PROUD of it!

It is my opinion that the Watchtower's films and publications should be copied for the whole world to see .... after all ... they were made with monies contributed in part by those who are NOT Witnesses.

Can you imagine Jesus ticked off about someone spreading what is TRUE, just because they did not travel in the circles of Jesus and the Apostles?

 I cannot.

In fact, I seem to remember the Apostles had the same concerns you have ..... and Jesus' actual reply.

Why?

2 hours ago, tromboneck said:

only a real sicko would suggest such a thing. Oh, Nigeria! That explains it. Always some goofball idea from that neck of the woods

Did you see several years ago on the JW-Archive the picture of the Nigerian Brother who died while standing up, giving the Memorial Talk?  He was wearing what we here in the West would describe as a full length sequin studded robe fitted closer than a robe... almost a nightgown.

It probably had to be dry cleaned, at a cost of more than the total of every piece of clothing I own.

I thought I was looking at a black Liberace, Star Wars Emperor Impersonator.

On 3/8/2018 at 9:12 AM, Steve Wilkinson said:

@Queen Esther I mean that I think it is grossly disrespectful to make money from advertising Jesus death. It also makes the memorial into a commercial venture. 

I fully agree with you, Steve:

However, I do not think you have ANY IDEA that all Assemblies are profit centers.

After the monies get to the District Level, there is no public (to the Brotherhood .. or anyone else) accountability to ANYONE.

Not a single word of objection was raised by the GB over the commercialization of Caleb and Sophia merchandise.

Caleb and Sophia Merchandise, purses, briefcases, pins, buttons, slacks, suspenders and bow ties, and pictures, back car window decals, book covers, wall posters, 3d dolls like GB Bro. Anthony Morris III has in his Bethel Office, Videos, DVDs, coloring books, decorated birthd...er... baptism cakes, stand up displays, literature bags, greeting cards.

Sophia colorful tote bags for girls, and Sophia cloth shopping bags for Wal-Mart, etc., book markers, key chains, 3d Printer statues of Caleb, ball point pens, and penlights, pins and brooches for older Sisters, and cartoon wall hangings for the inside of Caleb and Sophia dioramas, or JW.ORG men's ties, lapel pins, wristwatches, aluminum military style dog tags, rings, aluminum pendants for neck chains and charm bracelets, car bumper stickers, car window decals, women's pocket mirrors, flags to tie to radio aerials, put on flagpoles outside Chilean Kingdom Halls ( ... what's a Chilean Kingdom Hall doing with a flagpole, anyway ...?).

Swiss Assembly Grounds, and OTHER places where a pale blue flag would look spiffy, and in the absence of a breeze, look like a U.N. Flag hanging limp.

Then there is the JW.ORG blue oversized umbrellas, Unisex Hoodie Jackets, neck lanyards, hand lunch boxes with Paradise scenes, and of course Caleb and Sophia., and to contrast, from Peru, a BRIGHT Pink Caleb and Sophia Bible cover entitled New World Translation of the HOLY SCRIPTURES ... over a large picture of guess whom?

Of course the refrigerator magnets and motivational jewelry are big sellers, not so much for the Caleb crochetable doll.

I often wonder if they charge product licensing fees, and that is why  there was no concern over that.

Many things are "Slippery Slopes" ..... once you get on them ... it's a muddy slide to the bottom.

How about a wicker picnic basket with hinged wooden top for $49.95, with a large red and white checkerboard tablecloth, and large box of Passover style unleavened bread, and a nice bottle of  "The Memorial" branded  (tm) red wine?

I hear 2018 will be a good year.

.