Random stupid things on your mind. Post them.

[HorrorRetro]

My sympathy. I hope you can get your step-daughter back from this user soon. What you've described sounds almost beyond cult. I wonder if the "old man" church leader came to develop this cult through a perversion of Christian doctrine; or, rather, if he might be a career con man who has struck on the cult as a very lucrative scam. Not that the bottom line is very different: the abduction of your step-daughter's will and independence of thought and action, and those of perhaps dozens like her. I suspect he might have a history of all manner of scams and cons, and recently struck on the cult method. Has he been a resident of your community for long, or did he move in within the last few years?

My heart goes out to you. There are options available, of varying effectiveness and even expense. I don't have any particular knowledge, I'm just aware from reading of similar situations of what parents have tried. You might want to start here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_countercult_movement

But I think it's important to remember that the young woman your husband saw at that "church" is not his daughter: that girl has been mentally abducted and is gagged from speaking by the control this monster has of her mind. So I hope he doesn't feel as if he has been truly rejected by her - he hasn't. Good luck.

The old guy is not the pastor of the church she attends.  He is just one of the guys involved in various offshoots of this religion.  Her church is actually a very well known church in the Spokane area, which is why people retract their belief it's a cult when I tell them which church it is. It looks pretty innocuous on the surface.  I only know it's not by our experience with all this.  When I attempted to contact the "pastor," I was very polite.  I simply said I'd like to know more about this school of leadership, what the tuition went for, what sort of accreditation there was, etc.  He immediately refused to give me any information. He actually said, "I have no idea who you are, so I can't talk to you about this." Wait.  You're running this "school" out of your church, but you refuse to give me information unless you know me?  That was a major red flag.
We attempted to get our questions answered several more times to no avail.

The church looks okay from the outside, but knowing what goes on inside, I'm convinced it is a cult. No church should make those demands of you.  We have zero contact with her these days.  I contacted her on Twitter, since that's the only way I know how to get a hold of her, to let her know her dad was deploying to Afghanistan, and she said thanks for letting her know and I never had a single inquiry into his well being while he was there.  I again contacted her on Twitter to let her know he arrived home safely, and we've had no contact since then. 

We no longer live in Spokane.  We're on the other side of the state now with my husband stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.  She still has her grandfather over in Spokane, who is now in his 70s and living alone.  Since all this went down and we all refused to financially support this scheme, she has completely ignored her grandfather, never once contacting him to see how he's doing.  It's been a huge disappointment.  I don't see any reunification in the future either. A lot of this is based on how she was raised by her mother, and that's a very long, ugly story, also involving questionable churches, so she was susceptible to this from the beginning. We tried to be a source of reason and logic, but that's not what she wanted to hear.

Just to give a bit of foundation on her mindset and how the child was raised, during custody hearings, her mother would claim that my husband floated in through windows during the night (we lived 2,000 miles away) and caused the child to become possessed.  This "possession" in turn caused the child to have special powers which caused electrical appliances to explode when she touched them.  Needless to say, we asked for psych evals for the mother, but we were denied.  It was like living a Lifetime movie what we went through to try to get this child out of the mother's home.  Had we not lived through it, I would not have believed that this could happen in modern times.

Let's hope that she's not a Bellgabber

She's definitely not.

[PB the Deplorable]

People think they get a lot from a cult; affiliation, love, acceptance and a pipeline to doing GOD's work.  It gives security. 
Kids of divorce get hurt and can be easily drawn in easily...

Geez, except for the part about gods work, the very same could be said of gangs.

[guildnavigator]

Users online: Aquagoat


What's up man!

[Chine]

Users online: Aquagoat


What's up man!

GuildNavigator! Aquagoat is a fun funky username.

Random : Don't mix Pineapple flav Vita Coco and Candy Corn. Big Mistake. Listening to Adam Ant 'Stand and Deliver' and considering a fest of John Hughes cinema marathon.

[sleeplessinca]

Geez, except for the part about gods work, the very same could be said of gangs.

Very good point. Its a similar task to get kids away from them.  There has to be something better.

[stevesh]

The Detroit Lions won at the Redskins today for the first time ever. The streak went back to the '30s when the 'Skins were the Boston Redskins, and Eddie Coyle was a peanut vendor.

[eddie dean]

welcome back or should I say Roswells Bellgab Forum.
I didn't realize how much I rely on Bellgab and it's members to provide my daily intake of entertainment. I guess that says a lot about my social life, sigh  but none of my friends listen to Art Bell and their eyes glaze over when I talk about his show.

Thanks MV for all the work you do to provide this platform.
This is the best forum on the web!

Now on to more important matters, like
posting "Noory Sucks" in GNS thread!

[UnscreenedCaller]

The church looks okay from the outside, but knowing what goes on inside, I'm convinced it is a cult. No church should make those demands of you.  We have zero contact with her these days.  I contacted her on Twitter, since that's the only way I know how to get a hold of her, to let her know her dad was deploying to Afghanistan, and she said thanks for letting her know and I never had a single inquiry into his well being while he was there.  I again contacted her on Twitter to let her know he arrived home safely, and we've had no contact since then. 

We no longer live in Spokane.  We're on the other side of the state now with my husband stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.  She still has her grandfather over in Spokane, who is now in his 70s and living alone.  Since all this went down and we all refused to financially support this scheme, she has completely ignored her grandfather, never once contacting him to see how he's doing.  It's been a huge disappointment.  I don't see any reunification in the future either. A lot of this is based on how she was raised by her mother, and that's a very long, ugly story, also involving questionable churches, so she was susceptible to this from the beginning. We tried to be a source of reason and logic, but that's not what she wanted to hear.

They can call it anything they want, but any organization that demands money and phyically and emotionally separates people from their families, i.e voices of reasons are cults whether Charles Manson is in charge or friendly Rev. Bob. There doesn't seem to be much you can do beyond hiring deprogrammers. These people pick the emotionally vulnerable and prey on them, but this seems to be a new con, using the name and reputation of a known Spokane church. I am so sorry, HorrorRetro. I hope your stepdaughter comes to her senses.

[PB the Deplorable]

Why do cats like to sit on paper, or in a box?  If either is on the floor the cats head right for it.

How is that more comfortable than the carpet, sofa, chair, bed...

[Chine]

OMG...ahahaha. Just found out a friend of mine is in the Totino's Pizza Rolls commercial!

So weird...yesterday I spoke to my brother and in our conversation he mentions the pizza rolls. Today, speaking to a friend about her new film, I see she did the commercial!

[Chine]

Why do cats like to sit on paper, or in a box?  If either is on the floor the cats head right for it.

How is that more comfortable than the carpet, sofa, chair, bed...

BIG CATS like boxes too!

[lonevoice]

Why do cats like to sit on paper, or in a box?  If either is on the floor the cats head right for it.

How is that more comfortable than the carpet, sofa, chair, bed...

None of these look comfortable.  Maybe the answer is simply why ask why? 

Cats And Dogs Squeezing Into Things Compilation - Boringly.com

[sleeplessinca]

Loved this and forwarding.  Did you see "what Does the Fox Say?"

[lonevoice]

Loved this and forwarding.  Did you see "what Does the Fox Say?"

I watched the iHeartRadio Music Festival online from the MGM Grand arena yesterday, and Ylvis was there to perform 'The Fox.'  There they were, the Ylvis guys in their fox costumes, singing 'Joff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff' and 'Chacha-chacha-chacha-chow' between sets by Muse, Elton John, Queen, et al.  There was something a little sublime in the juxtaposition.   If you're interested, the first night of the 2-night festival, which is when Ylvis performed, is being televised tonight at 8PM pacific on the CW channel.   

[guildnavigator]

"Get Out Of My Room" is on Netflix? This means... I can put away my VHS copy?

[sleeplessinca]

I watched the iHeartRadio Music Festival online from the MGM Grand arena yesterday, and Ylvis was there to perform 'The Fox.'  There they were, the Ylvis guys in their fox costumes, singing 'Joff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff' and 'Chacha-chacha-chacha-chow' between sets by Muse, Elton John, Queen, et al.  There was something a little sublime in the juxtaposition.   If you're interested, the first night of the 2-night festival, which is when Ylvis performed, is being televised tonight at 8PM pacific on the CW channel.

OMG Got to see it. 

[sleeplessinca]

I looked up The I Heart Radio Music Festival and it is next week.  There were clips.  You are right about the contrast with Sir Paul McCartney and Elton John and Queen.  I suspect even Sir Paul had to say . "Now there's a Magical Mystery Tour" (his opening song).

[lonevoice]

OMG Got to see it.

Ah, you're right.  The televised special is next week.  Highly recommend!  It was great fun.  Actually, many of the acts were wonderful, especially some of the legends who were mixed in with contemporary folks like Katy Perry...or Ylvis.  I'll have to set the DVR so I can listen to Art live that night.  I hope "What Does the Fox Say?" survives the edit monkeys as they're cutting the 5-hour concert down to a 2-hour TV special event.

[sleeplessinca]

Ah, you're right.  The televised special is next week.  Highly recommend!  It was great fun.  Actually, many of the acts were wonderful, especially some of the legends who were mixed in with contemporary folks like Katy Perry...or Ylvis.  I'll have to set the DVR so I can listen to Art live that night.  I hope "What Does the Fox Say?" survives the edit monkeys as they're cutting the 5-hour concert down to a 2-hour TV special event.

2 hours will be plenty.  Poor Mylie Cyrus is going over the edge - hope the monkeys spare us and her.

[lonevoice]

2 hours will be plenty.  Poor Mylie Cyrus is going over the edge - hope the monkeys spare us and her.

We may get lucky as far as the near-naked twerky girl goes.  She was one of the performers relegated to the outdoors concert, which was pretty low-budget.  The main events were all indoors in the plush MGM arena.  I think the television broadcast may be only of the indoor arena acts.  I tried like hell to get tickets to this thing, bitching and whining about Ticket Master and scalpers on the "things that annoy you" thread, the day the tickets went on sale and nobody could get even one.  The scalpers had them up to $3,000 (from the face value, which was about $150) within five minutes of the box office opening.   I was so mad!

[Sardondi]

A lifelong vegetarian, who had been told she would never conceive, began eating meat...and had triplets: http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/vegetarian-eats-meat-falls-pregnant-with-triplets/story-fnet08ck-1226709927137

Ah, the power of meat - it can't be denied. It takes tremendous amounts of protein to fuel big brains, and as soon as a species makes the move to carnivore, increased intelligence isn't far behind. For as soon as one small band of large-skulled hominids began fighting the hyenas and vultures for the leavings of the big cats, the band began seeing an increase in its intelligence. This small band of ape-like creatures began walking upright, using rocks to cut flesh, and used big thigh bones as murderous clubs. Plus they began taking an interest in the Sunday Times crossword. It wasn't too many hundred thousand years before the hominids began building shelter from inclement weather, and using animal skins to protect their bodies from the heat of the sun, the rain or the chill of the night.

It wasn't long before this small band of hominids tried sail to the New World.

[aldousburbank]

Ah, the power of meat - it can't be denied. It takes tremendous amounts of protein to fuel big brains, and as soon as a species makes the move to carnivore, increased intelligence isn't far behind.

It wasn't long before this small band of hominids tried sail to the New World.

Fucking carnivores. Now for my morning whetgrass.

[Heather Wade]

What causes the 'cat-craizies' in the middle of the night? 

[Treading Water]

What causes the 'cat-craizies' in the middle of the night?

They know that's when you want to sleep...     

[bateman]

This article was in Time Magazine, but it's behind a pay wall, so I had to find it somewhere else. Just in case anyone thought I normally read "Fem 2.0"

Having It All Without Having Children

[Grov505th]

Why do cats sit and stare up at the wall? I mean its creepy has heck.

[MV/Liberace!]

Why do cats sit and stare up at the wall? I mean its creepy has heck.

i once stayed in an old, run down, decrepit hotel (the type of hotel where people go to kill themselves) with my dog who spent the entire time growling at a corner of the room.

i didn't sleep well.

[coaster]

So I'm sitting in my backyard, just enjoying the weather. A flock of birds landed in a nearby tree. More followed. It continued until there were thousands. I have never seen so many birds in my life. The few trees I had were so covered they were nearly black.  It was unbearably loud. Then just like that, dead silence. They took off, and landed in some trees down the road. It was pretty surreal.

[conbrio]

MV Why are you staying at a fleabag hotel... I could lone you a few bucks if you need it, or you could upgrade to the Y an get yer bum rubbed. YMCA... you gotta stay at the YMCA.

[conbrio]

Oops LOAN, dam!!! too late