All things change ... get used to it !

What used to be the sea bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, with all the fishes, large and small ... is now Texas, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, and States North.

With glaciers, what used to be the plains of what we now call Illinois and surrounding States is now the Great Lakes .

The mighty Mississippi River was relocated when the land tilted by Earthquakes.

At one time, the ENTIRE planet Earth was covered with two MILES of ice.  Before that,  molten lava 4,000 miles deep.

The Earth is slowing down its rotation about 2 milliseconds every hundred years, as the Moon gets further and further away, at about 1-1/2 inches per year.

I have in a bookcase here at home, a pie shaped section of a tree cut from a slice of a petrified tree that I bought in Arizona, where millions of trees lie on the ground, exposed by erosion, and it still has the rings and bark on the outside arc, replaced molecule by molecule, as the wood was replaced by minerals, and became stone. 

This tree fell to Earth in Nicaragua 283 MILLION years ago and at a small fraction of an inch per year was carried, with a whole forest of similar trees, by continental drift to what is now Arizona ..... where someone picked it up, cut it, and I bought it.

The Earth is changing. 

Always has .... always will.

What used to be jungles, are now deserts. What used to be deserts are now jungles.  What used to be flat plains are now mountains.

Mankind does not possess the ability to affect climate change ... one way or another.  Not to cause it. Not to change it. Not to stop it.

The only REAL greenhouse gas is water vapor ... a multi trillion ton collection of floating WATER. 

Clouds that circle the Earth, and float above  your head ... shiny on the top ... dark on the bottom ... covering continents,  nations and oceans.

And of course, that ever present fusion reactor in the sky, 93,000,000 miles away, our variable star called The Sun.

If we had a spasm total global thermonuclear war, setting the entire Earth on fire ... we would have a global nuclear winter for about four years, devastation almost beyond imagination.

And then ... rain would wash the pollutants out of the air and it would fall to Earth as acid rain ... and in about ten years, the climate would return to what it was ... as determined by our Star, the Sun, and orbital mechanics .... whatever it is.

Even with total global thermonuclear war, we cannot change the climate ... only the weather for about a decade.

All things change ... get used to it !

If the sea levels rise ......

buy a boat!

... or move !

It may be as a practical matter almost impossible to "catch-up", Billy, but you need to spend a year researching what a bunch of fraudsters and fakers the IPCC is. There have been many documentations of their internal "bad science" ... BECAUSE ... they faked data to fit the fake models.

If you spend now  until about mid-2020 you might... MIGHT ... catch up.

The key words to start with is "IPCC emails".

https://www.foxnews.com/science/fastest-thinning-greenland-glacier-threw-nasa-scientists-for-a-loop-its-actually-growing?cmpid=NL_SciTech

........ also pencil in April 8, 2024, in Vincinnes, Indiana, for the next great American total Solar Eclipse.

The only way to learn the truth about whether "global warming" is real ... and whether it is a naturally occurring phenomena that mankind can do NOTHING about, or is caused by human interaction with the environment, which may or may not be able to be stopped or reversed, is to YOU PERSONALLY educate yourself with the math, physics, chemistry, meteorology, and ocean sciences, and orbital mechanics, etc.,  ..... to be able to tell the difference between hoax, fraud, fake science, and religious hysteria and hallucination that this issue has become.

And then sit down and draw sketches, accumulate data ... possibly completely wear out a scientific pocket calculator .... or two, and then correlate what you PERSONALLY know with astronomy, and other related sciences ... comparing the physics of other planets' atmospheric meteorology to see if conclusions by others make sense, or have any validity whatsoever.

If you are not willing to YOU PERSONALLY do this ... and take a decade, or 20 years, or the rest of your life ... then your opinions will be based on FAITH .... NOT SCIENCE.

FAITH in the opinions and conclusions of others .... the new global religion of "Man Caused Climate Change".

Faith in the opinions and conclusions of others, where you have not PERSONALLY proved it yourself, is not TRUTH.

Seek ONLY THE TRUTH.  

In science, and in religion, and in all things.

However, although you will fail to get the correct answers ...... intellectual integrity can also be accomplished by not caring, to the point you do not believe anybody, about anything.

... and is a LOT less work.

I am not arguing that there is not "Global Warming".

There IS!

This is a natural cycle that is determined by orbital mechanics of our Earth, and the various cycles that our VARIABLE STAR,  the Sun naturally goes through.

On this clear gas planet, Earth, with its predominate Nitrogen atmosphere of "one atmosphere" at sea level , It's all about geometry, and the fact that all radiated energy follows the inverse square law.

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING MANKIND CAN DO TO MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE WHATSOEVER.

Nothing mankind can do to cause, or accelerate global warming.

...and nothing we can do to slow or stop it.

That's the way Jehovah designed the system.

When all is said and done ... you and Billy ARE my soul brothers, and I would defend you both with my life if necessary. 

We all take turns being wrong about many, many things, with the firm and profound belief that we are right.  It's part of being "big ugly bags of mostly water.

... just add gravel, and Portland Cement.

In the big red "Revelation" book, circa 15 or so years ago, it mentioned as an aside that Sir Isaac Newton may have been one of the Anointed. This sparked me reading two very large biographies on his life, and what impressed me the most was the fact that he never published anything without rigorous proof.

Rigorous proof means that the facts you use are checkable, and do not contradict known chemistry, physics, and science that makes the REAL world what it is.

If it cannot be expressed with HARD NUMBERS, and to "how many decimal places" ... it is NOT science .... it is ONLY opinion.

The things wars are fought over.

ALL agenda driven thinking, without exception always has been, , is now, and will always be faulty.

55 minutes ago, TrueTomHarley said:

He does not know more about it than you. He knows things about it that you do not.

And you do not know more about it than he. You know things about it that he does not.

Actually, TTH, since you do not know enough even to form an internal opinion, as you yourself admitted, you are particularly unqualified to render an educated opinion on whether I, or JWI is the most informed.

All "Global Warming" prognostications are based on  say 15 computer models, and information is adjusted, managed, and tweaked to make the models say whatever agrees with the source of funding.

JWI was, and is correct in his statement that I know more about the subject than he does ... and more to the point, I can PROVE my conclusions.

This would involve  charts, graphs, pocket calculators, and lectures on cosmology, orbital mechanics, physics heat transfer, and a dozen other subjects, that most people are never even exposed to .... much less have an understanding and a working knowledge of.

You are like a feather, blowing in the wind ... wishing that EVERYBODY was as uninformed, wrong, and wishy-washy as you are.

You cannot vote ...... on TRUTH.

4 minutes ago, BillyTheKid46 said:

If he was a scientist, maybe I would get a good answer for a debate.

The reason I am not "sympathetic" to you Billy, is that if you found someone who knew EVERYTHING about any particular subject ... and you knew NOTHING about that same subject ... you would debate him.

Sometimes ... you just need to sit down, shut up ... and listen.

Alex Jones the hunchback plumber, from Chatteroy, West Virginia?

JW USA: A Witness responds to Lloyd Evans about JW and global climate change .....

It's not what Evans sez: It's what DILBERT sez:

ONLY if YOU PERSONALLY have intellectual integrity ... will you follow the TRUTH  ... wherever it leads.

No human on Earth that lives, or has ever lived, is exempt from this.

OTHERWISE ... you are subject to theological hallucinations ...

And everything you see, think, and do will be duplicitous ... and as you stated above ...

24 minutes ago, BillyTheKid46 said:

Therefore, I wouldn’t know if a flag pole “holder” would be fixed to a KH over there, where certain KH are forced to comply.

The fact that looking straight at it .... AT IT ... you declare you do not know .... perfectly illustrates my point.

Billy:

I agree with all you said above ... BUT...

We should all be united in what is true, what is honorable, what is fair, what is equitable, what is righteous, what is good, and what is wholesome.

BEING UNITED just to have peace involves a THOUSAND compromises ... and is a slippery slope that slides to error,  intellectually dishonesty, self delusion, theocratic hallucinations, the abandonment of JUSTICE, and dishonors both ourselves ... which intellectual integrity is where someone always has to start ... AND the Brotherhood ... and most importantly, Jehovah God.

It all starts  ... here on the dirt, where the rubber meets the road ... is  the determination, without compromise ... to achieve intellectual integrity .

FIRST

You cannot have TRUTH ... without intellectual integrity.

OTHERWISE ... we may be the finest "Brother Watchtower"  that walks the Earth ... but we will be intellectually dishonest ... like a plague, that takes a 30 year incubation period for the consequences to show up.

You cannot have TRUTH ... without intellectual integrity.

Each one has to obey the dictates of his own individual conscience ....  that is what makes us,  US ... and not merely, only, and very, very sadly ..... just  animals.

NOTHING MORE

From my perspective,  ... Intellectual Integrity, or the lack thereof ... is what this ENTIRE thread is actually about.

We have Liberty, and Freedom, and opportunity as Jehovah's Witnesses ...  unmatched in the history of civilization.

It breaks  my heart to see us turn ourselves into a nation of  delusional fools.

28 minutes ago, BillyTheKid46 said:

This one shows, how a person got up close and personal to KH sign. How in the world can you do that if you’re not inside the property? Therefore, I don’t need an Elder to speculate this person was trespassing, and God knows what else.

Billy ... you are asking the WRONG QUESTION.

You should not be asking how did the photographer got so close to the building ... he walked through the gate.  The video does show him walking around inside the perimeter fence.

The question should be, how did he get past the heavy steel bars on the WINDOWS to put the flag BEHIND the metal bars and glass.

I have a Canon SX60 Camera that I can zoom in and take pictures of the SIDES of the mountains on the Moon, as they curve around the other side of the  Moon. I could take a picture of a small bug on that window from the center of the street, through the fence.

It's NOT what can you possibly imagine .... It is about what a non-agenda driven person, a reasonable and rational person ... a person who is not suffering from WDS delusions would consider MOST probable.

We all bet our lives on how we interpret facts .... and the bill, either has to be paid mentally, emotionally, intellectually, or with blood and gore. The REAL Universe does not indulge our delusions.

Intellectual INTEGRITY has to come FIRST. ... or nothing else REAL can we see.

WDS - (Watchtower Derangement Syndrome)  - The double edged sword that cuts BOTH ways.

Agenda driven fantasy rationality from the "outside, looking in.", or  from the "inside looking out".

The sword cuts BOTH ways.

16 hours ago, TrueTomHarley said:

I’ll give 3:1 odds that JWI finds it’s all a bunch of hoopla. Nothing less than $100 bets will be considered.

Define "hoopla".

If I take your bet, for, say $200.00,  what unambiguous specific criteria is necessary for one side or the other to prevail?

This can be either (EITHER!)  gambling, or a sound investment strategy

Otherwise,  while placing bets,  or making an investment ...... pistols on the table.

3 hours ago, BillyTheKid46 said:

6 hours ago, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

I did notice that you do stand condemned by your own words, unless you CAN justify the 98.8%, and 1.2% irrelevant fantasies.

I’m not saying some of the pictures aren’t true, James. Because they are. I have more credible evidence on video. The point I’m trying to make, the length opposers will go when they see an irregularity within the organization.

For one, the Country of Chile is not entirely democratic. There is communism that still stands in Chile. Opposers argue the brothers did it as not to pay a fine. Was that what really what happened?

There are 3 Kingdom Halls in question. Were those kingdom halls in control of an opposition party that forced the brothers to comply? For all we know, there could have been a group of patriots with threats of bodily harm in the name of the government to make someone comply. How many times don’t we see exactly that on the news? That would lead me to believe, more in the weakness of a group of Elders, but I wasn't there.

In the case of the Spanish letterheads and English wording. If that indeed was submitted by the Branch office, did some Elders misunderstand or comprehend the letter? Or were those Spanish BOE letters translated into English by opposers, then posted that way. There are 1 or 2 photos that are photoshopped. They didn’t have to be, but that’s the length some opposers like Lloyd Evans will go to distort an issue. Therefore, can we say, it’s 100% factual under those circumstances? This issue started in 2014. In 2016-2017 the flags were displayed on 3 Kingdom Halls. Was it voluntarily, by choice, or forced.

Does anyone have concrete evidence the Elders willfully complied to meet the demands of the State, or do we know if any Elders were removed for not understanding the Watchtower guidelines? According to the latest pictures, those KH in question seems to be clear of any State-sponsored propaganda.

That’s the point of probability. There are too many unknowns to make a claim of absolute. Of course, 98.8% is an exaggeration James. That doesn’t mean that a lot of things floating out on the internet is NOT fake. I believe Anna and JWinsider just proved that point with the pole shadows. Did opposers need to muddy the waters even further by that exposure? NO!

Therefore, until someone comes up with something more tangible, the reasons why still remain with those Chilean brothers, not the Watchtower.

I am quoting your ENTIRE last post, , as I don't want it to be edited or "disappear"..

I know for a certainty that you are agenda driven ... NOT TRUTH DRIVEN ... as you have just proved with your considered, but off-point, rambling, reply ...  assuming vague possibilities for which there is NO credible evidence .... or any evidence at  ALL.

Your entire thought processes are governed by wishful thinking, and agenda driven fantasy constructs.

After your  forced admission of " Of course, 98.8% is an exaggeration James". , and " I’m not saying some of the pictures aren’t true, James. Because they are. I have more credible evidence on video."

That says it all  ..... in your own words.

The above is what you get when you have Robots read the News.

... its been a long time, but if memory serves, the "Official" and only letterhead at the Zaire Branch office was in French, as that was the official national language.

In a Spanish Speaking Country, I find it nutty to have letterheads in French, English, and 20 other languages.

I do NOT believe that is the case.

To the best of my knowledge, his is NOT done in business, ANYWHERE .

If you know different, please provide REAL examples ... not your personal fantasies.

1 hour ago, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

A PERFECT example of this is your quote ...

" ... I would say 98.8% of the Watchtower stuff on the internet is fake. The remaining 1.2% is misrepresented or misinterpreted by people such as you, James, Witness, and many others that are fake members or members in name only"

A perfect defense for my accusation will be you to tell us, HOW DID YOU GET THOSE SPECIFIC NUMBERS?  

I did notice that you do stand condemned by your own words, unless you CAN justify the 98.8%, and 1.2% irrelevant fantasies.

As of this posting ... you IGNORED the simple challenge to prove your relevancy.

When you do, I will apologize... if what you have to say is based on FACTS.

3 hours ago, BillyTheKid46 said:

Only people like Anna and James would claim the letter is genuine even though the letter would be sent translated to the intended idiom. It would be unconscionable to think the Watchtower would force others to learn to read English. Voluntarily yes, force, no.

Since you have libeled me, please indulge a little in-kind response, at least in tone.

I was in the Congo, years ago, and at the Branch Office on the Aveneuda des Eleephants the Brothers would get a letter from anywhere in Zaire, as it was then called, in any one of perhaps 50 different languages, the offical national language being French, and the Branch Office reply staff primarily English.   I was there, I slept there, and mowed the lawn, and packed boxes while waiting for a flight back to the United States..  They had many little black Brothers who spoke several languages, and sometimes a letter was translated  five times from the source language to the target language. The reply was composed, and it was translated back the OTHER way.

If the original query was in Swahelli, Tshiluba, French or English, Spanish, Vietnamese, or what have you ... the reply was sent in the originating language.  Nobody forced anyone Billy.   If I replied to you here in Standard Klingon, your point there would have validity. 

IMNSHO, you points rarely have validity, on any level, because they are based on your agenda of defending the indefensible.

3 hours ago, BillyTheKid46 said:

Once again, language rears it’s ugly head to think there is that type of people that believe language, grammar, is superior to a native tongue. Perhaps with JWinsider and TTH.

Then why spend Elementary School, Middle School, High School, and College studying how do do grammer well, and express yourself clearly and unambiguously?

There is a whole different level of skills needed to convey complex, nuanced ideas correctly.  The results of YOUR philosophy is the apex of human communications would be " ... you want Fries, with that order?", and then give the wrong change.

3 hours ago, BillyTheKid46 said:

I would say 98.8% of the Watchtower stuff on the internet is fake. The remaining 1.2% is misrepresented or misinterpreted by people such as you, James, Witness, and many others that are fake members or members in name only. Does this include type-o's no, those are the ones that get the most attention?

Billy, what you say is drivel, as it is based on agenda driven policy and misplaced loyalties.  Your loyalty and concern is defending the indefensible, when you are plain, flat wrong.

A PERFECT example of this is your quote ...

" ... I would say 98.8% of the Watchtower stuff on the internet is fake. The remaining 1.2% is misrepresented or misinterpreted by people such as you, James, Witness, and many others that are fake members or members in name only"

A perfect defense for my accusation will be you to tell us, HOW DID YOU GET THOSE SPECIFIC NUMBERS?  

You are living in a fantasy world of your own construct, Billy.

This means, that your OPINIONS are NOT based on fact, and your opinions are completely irrelevant.

5 minutes ago, The Librarian said:

Are those cupcakes made with Splenda?

I love Splenda.

What are the attributes of Splenda that you love?

Asbestos , I can figure ....

Just as in a total LUNAR eclipse, you can see part of the Moon by light that seeps around the Earth through the atmosphere layer, albeit very dimly, the light DOES tend to fill in the shadow, so you are not looking up and cannot see the Moon.

In similar manner, the metal rod on the top of the flag pole is THIN enough and has such specular reflectivity that light has seeped behind it, and filled in the shadow a great deal ... ON THE NUBBIN.

Redraw the parallel red lines from the top of the blue CLOTH, to the top of the shadow OF the CLOTH

I suspect the FOLD in the flag, is pointed DIRECTLY toward the camera.

In a darkened room about 20 feet long you could duplicate this with a flashlight with a focused parallel light beam, by holding your hand perpendicular to the wall, and having someone 20 feet away  demonstrate the effects by moving the light up and down, and from side to side.

And the angle examples I gave were only to illustrate the idea .... grabbed out of the air based on a rough guess.

47 minutes ago, Anna said:

I think the invisible portion of the flag is still hanging down, and if it was flapping in the wind as suggested in the shadow, then the pole should be on the right side of it, not on the left of it.....

The shadow will be bigger than the flag if it is spread across an oblique wall with the Sun at the shown apparent angle, say somewhere around 45 degrees above the horizontal, and 35 degrees to the left.  ThIs is called the "cosine effect", which I am well familiar with, as for decades I had a photographic darkroom, and worked with this with my very own developer chemical stained fingers, and light meters.

 The light from the Sun is radial, from the Sun, but after traveling 93,000,000 miles across Space, it is for all practical purposes of this discussion, parallel rays, and easy to predict.

It's called "ray tracing".

BillyTheKid46 may (may) be a good agenda driven Watchtower Lawyer ... but agenda driven thinking is ALWAYS delusional.

The problem is....

 ... IT'S HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS !

Write me a super-BIG check, and when it clears the bank, I will send anyone a 30 page report.