Comments on Ambassador Watch: Twittering with Spanky & Son

Following one of the linked blogsites (Living Arms...

2009-05-07T22:59:00.000+12:00

Following one of the linked blogsites (Living Armstrongism) I took a link to one of PCG's sermons condemning use of technology such as Twitter. Wow - I may have been refused employment because the employers check if you participate in social networking... just as PCG members have been refused PYC attendance and AC enrollment for the same reasion.

All that aside, GTA's book on childrearing (but not GTA) received kudos. Along with some quotations from proverbs, the PCG make it sound like it's God's way to beat the crap out of your kids provided you do it in love...

The double standard makes me sick: Family and frie...

2009-05-06T13:09:00.000+12:00

The double standard makes me sick: Family and friends get away with all sorts of things while the boss himself sets others up to fail. He has very little respect for his own staff and constantly undermines them to others in private conversations. The only voice that seems to carry any weight is that of Cheryl and kids.

There is a reason that all who leave hq tell the same story. What kind of leadership is that?

To borrow his own expression: "that's not servant leadership", unless your name is Meredith.

--disillusioned

I wonder if all will be "forgiven" after a few GTA...

2009-05-04T16:09:00.000+12:00

I wonder if all will be "forgiven" after a few GTA style crocodile tears of repentance.

I saw the twitter page and was appalled. The son ...

2009-05-04T15:03:00.000+12:00

I saw the twitter page and was appalled. The son very graphically described discovering what he thought was a symptom of venereal disease and then his relief at the fact that the sore turned out to be nothing more than a pimple.

Revolting.

The kid does computer technical support and tells everyone who will listen what an authority he is on all things computer. Ironic that a computer expert would post such vile comments for all the world to see. He of all people should know the consequences.

From what I hear, through a friend who is close to...

2009-05-04T14:47:00.000+12:00

From what I hear, through a friend who is close to the family, dear old dad relys much more on family than he does his own staff when it comes to making decisions. So much so that some in the family are prone to making comments that amount to bragging about how they "got it their way".

Personally, I find it frustrating that Sheryl and sons have so much power over hq decision making. The word on the street is that his family always gets their way in the end, so don't dare cross them.

Based on my own observations, friends of the family have been "working" this arrangement for years. I hear that dad called one of his infamous employee meetings recently where he took everyone to task for not getting along and working together as a team, yet nothing changes. The double standard is very much alive and well, just like when Eli and sons were in charge (I Samuel 2).

I just wish that those involved walked the walk, not just talk the talk. :(

For those wondering about the rumours that Vic Kub...

2009-05-04T08:35:00.000+12:00

For those wondering about the rumours that Vic Kubik was going to be a Twit from the GCE this weekend, they're all true: Kubik is, predictably, playing the discretion card and not giving out actual data. David Myers, on the other hand, is giving GOOD scoop, that will likely have the new CoE looking at damage control as their first priority:

# UCG's new Council of Elders members are William Eddington (Int'l), Richard Thompson (returning), Scott Ashley, Mellvin Rhodes. half a minute ago from txt# Just learned that 68% of the UCG Media budget is spent on print. 41 minutes ago from txt

And your point is what, Leonardo? Herbie may have ...

2009-05-04T07:08:00.000+12:00

And your point is what, Leonardo? Herbie may have been singing that song in the '60s, but by the time the "Get the Church back on TRACK!" era rolled around, Ted (or GTA as he was referred to, in hushed, scandalized whispers), was absolutely 100% persona non grata.

Here's HWA's exact quote from that 6/24/63co-worke...

2009-05-04T05:00:00.000+12:00

Here's HWA's exact quote from that 6/24/63co-worker letter:

"I have just been on the telephone, with an overseas
conversation with my son, Garner Ted Armstrong. This subject of
child rearing is his specialty. He has three fine sons. He
practices what he preaches, and the results are quite evident
to all who know his boys. He has made exhaustive study and
research into this subject and, I believe, is today the world's
foremost authority on child rearing."

Speaking of children, young Stevie Flurry recounts...

2009-05-04T00:17:00.000+12:00

Speaking of children, young Stevie Flurry recounts his happy days in the WCG. And appended to his glowing report are the comments of many happy campers.

According to HWA, Garner Ted Armstrong was "the wo...

2009-05-03T07:41:00.000+12:00

According to HWA, Garner Ted Armstrong was "the world's foremost authority on child rearing" (semiannual letter, June 24, 1963)

"Hey Purple, need another read on raising your kid...

2009-05-03T04:33:00.000+12:00

"Hey Purple, need another read on raising your kids the Harmstrong way?"

Thanks, KScribe, but I'm from the post-Ted years, remember? The "child-rearing" volume most often used in my generation was more along the lines of this.

As noted at the end of the post, the ad at the end of the "Teach Your Children About God" booklet, for "The Plain Truth About Child-Rearing", was for a "free" booklet by Spanky, NOT Ted.

I'm too lazy to check and see if Spanky's version has made it to the HWA Worship Archive though.....

you guys should look at the latest living church n...

2009-05-03T00:37:00.000+12:00

you guys should look at the latest living church news on living's website. it has an article by rod mcnair on blogging and not publish your grievances on the internet.

K Scribe, The link you provided called GTA's crap...

2009-05-02T15:58:00.000+12:00

K Scribe,

The link you provided called GTA's crap SUPER-CALLA-FRAGIL-ISTIC-EXPI-ALLA-DOCIOUS!

Or, some may think!

(GTA's providing "late night companionship to thousands of truckers, the voice of the morning to millions of farmers, the living room preacher to a subculture of lonely, frightened, disoriented Americans.")

I liked where it described it as "Completely asinine advice by a sexual predator." !!!

UCG's Victor Kubik is promising "on-the-spot" twee...

2009-05-02T14:55:00.000+12:00

UCG's Victor Kubik is promising "on-the-spot" tweets about the General Conference of Elders meeting which starts Sunday. Will they let him get away with it?

Hey Purple, need another read on raising your kids...

2009-05-02T13:29:00.000+12:00

Hey Purple, need another read on raising your kids the Harmstrong way?

This link here will lead you to the child rearing document. This link will download the document in question

Anonymous said, "Of course you won't find Pack's p...

2009-05-02T12:26:00.000+12:00

Anonymous said, "Of course you won't find Pack's pack Twittering."

MY COMMENT - No, but you will find Dave Pack's profile on the popular professional networking website linkedin.com. Go ahead and search www.linkedin.com and you will find Dave Pack in the Cleveland, Ohio region. Read his professional description. At least he is blunt about what he's doing with his Church. It's him!

Well, you're right about Twitter being a passing f...

2009-05-02T07:36:00.000+12:00

Well, you're right about Twitter being a passing fad. My wife and a friend of hers got on Twitter, were pretty quickly unimpressed with it, and haven't bothered with it in months. I think they still have Twitter accounts, but they're dormant. Facebook seems much more fun and a better way to keep in touch with or find long-distance or long-lost friends.

Of course you won't find Pack's pack Twittering. Y...

2009-05-01T23:18:00.000+12:00

Of course you won't find Pack's pack Twittering. You may recall that online exercising of First Amendment rights was declared verboten* following an Apostolic pow-wow of Dave and his proteges.
* Except in the case of legitimate business purposes

lcg

2009-05-01T17:47:00.000+12:00

lcg

No further comment necessary.

2009-05-01T08:03:00.000+12:00

No further comment necessary.

Ha! Searching that username on Scroogle PROVES tha...

2009-05-01T08:00:00.000+12:00

Ha! Searching that username on Scroogle PROVES that ministry "kids" (and adults too now I guess) live by an absolute double standard; then again, they always could get away with murder, back in the day.

But are you sure he's still a member of LCG, Gavin? If he is, he certainly has the one-face-to-the-church, one-face-to-the-world act down pat. :-P

I can see where we'd be vicariously embarrassed by...

2009-05-01T04:33:00.000+12:00

I can see where we'd be vicariously embarrassed by observing this. One can only imagine that it'd be similar to watching one of the evangelists' kids drop acid. Just too surreal!

I just tried that URL. It came up with nothing. Do...

2009-04-30T20:57:00.000+12:00

I just tried that URL. It came up with nothing. Don't let that stop you though.

the url was http://twitter.com/weirjamin "the kid...

2009-04-30T20:47:00.000+12:00

the url was http://twitter.com/weirjamin

"the kid" is now - i think - in his forties.

Anyone know what Spanky's kid's user name was? The...

2009-04-30T20:34:00.000+12:00

Anyone know what Spanky's kid's user name was? The Wayback Machine should be particularly instructive, for posterity purposes. But you need the exact username of the twit in question, and jmeredith, jonm, and jonathanmeredith, or jonmeredith get no hits, and jonathanm belongs to somebody else.

Posterity's sake demands to know what Spanky's corporal punishment style of child-rearing has produced. Especially if the kid is still a member of the church.