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To: E who wrote (16177)	6/30/2002 2:10:03 PM
From: Constant Reader	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 21057

Probably the worst case of religious persecution I have personal knowledge of involves a friend who was raised as a Jehovah's Witness but left the fold as soon as she was able to act for herself. 25 years later, her employer hired a new store manager, who was a practicing Jehovah's Witness. Someone told him that she was once one. Lapsed members are supposed to be shunned by active members and he made her life a living hell for three or four months before she finally had enough and threatened to sue the company for discrimination. It was not a pretty picture and I understand that there are even worse horror stories about that weird religious organization.

To: E who wrote (16177)	6/30/2002 2:33:49 PM
From: Lazarus_Long	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 21057

I was commenting on the remark below, and being surprised at it, though maybe the fact that the children were JW's, and that was understood as a "religion," and that there were a number of them, made it a not uncomfortable experience for them. POLITICALLY INCORRECT MODE ON: Look, you've got to have more than just one screw loose to be a JW. POLITICALLY INCORRECT MODE OFF There probably was some comment among some of the kids. I don't remember the teachers or kids making a great deal of it.

To: E who wrote (16177)	6/30/2002 2:45:06 PM
From: Lane3	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 21057

I came upon this in a Nicholas Kristof column that appeared in the Arizona Star. Thought it might, er, interest you. <<Bush has a tendency to use black-and-white acrylics to depict every aspect of the world: the Middle East, terrorism, African development, even the federal debt ceiling. The starkness fits him, it matches the national mood, and it has mostly served the world's needs since 9/11. But now the time has come for nuance. If Bush is content to shake his fist and win thunderous ovations, moral clarity is enough. But if he wishes to oust Saddam Hussein, maintain peace in the Middle East, calm tempers in the Indian subcontinent, manage the rise of China and avoid war with North Korea, he must add some practicality to his principles. All this runs against Bush's grain. Contrary to the critics' caricatures, Bush is intelligent, with an awesome memory, great management skill and a tremendous emotional IQ. But he is also one of the least intellectually curious people I've ever interviewed, one of the least inclined to play with an idea and hold it to the light. One of the many ways in which he resembles his mother rather than his father is his tendency to make decisions based on intuition rather than intellect. Both left and right in America have moralistic streaks that are always admirable, often useful and sometimes disastrous.>>

To: E who wrote (16177)	6/30/2002 2:54:52 PM
From: Constant Reader	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 21057

And now for something completely different: World Cup Soccer Fans: Werucome! By Amy Chavez The Japan Times, 'Japan Lite' June 8, 2002 In Japan, we have only two languages: Japanese and a dialect of English called Japanese English. JE is Japan's second language. I call it Zen English because you can't translate it directly. A lot of the meaning is left up to the listener. Entire sentences are often expressed in just two words. For example, "Troussier coachi" means "Philippe Troussier is the coach of the Japan national soccer team." Once you learn how to fill in the verbs, predict prepositions and substitute letters, you'll find that JE is actually a very easy language to learn. Here is your JE pocket dictionary to the World Cup games: Werucome!--Welcome! This shows one of the many rules of JE pronunciation. In the JE alphabet, the wild card letters are l,r.s,f,o,u,t and d. These letters can be inserted, deleted or substituted freely. Warudo Kappu sakka --World Cup soccer The pronunciation of warudo is like the name Waldo, but the "w" pronounced "oo" as in "oo-aldo". It can best be imitated by mimicking the sounds of a loon. Not your average loon, however--one with an injury to his left wing. In the word "sakka," the r has been thrown off the field completely. Sakka is pronounced with a hesitation between the two k's. Act as if you have just gotten a fish bone stuck in your throat and momentarily had the wind blocked from your windpipe. Isn't this fun? Warudo Kuppu sakka Japan. Means "World Cup Soccer is taking place in Japan this year." No supeaku Engurishu--this phrase is used more like a self-defense weapon to ward off impending cross-cultural encounters. It is usually accompanied by a gesture of crossing the arms to make an "X" which means "no," "can't," or "impossible." Okkay--okay, pronounced with a fish bone stuck in your throat. Sankyu--Thank you. 'th' is replaced with 's'. Nicu to meeto you, hahahaha! For some reason, this phrase is always followed by a laugh. JE is full of humor! "How rongu stay Japan?" means "How long will you be in Japan?" "ooea stay Japan?" means, "Where are you staying while you're here in Japan?" Getting the hang of it? Huan--Fan. "I am Nakata's huan," means "I am a fan of Hidetoshi Nakata," or, "I am Japanese." beri goodo--Very good. "Nigeria huan beri goodo" means "The Nigerian fans were awesome!" Skinheado--Shaved head. "Ono is skinheado" means "Ono has a shaved head." Sometimes you have to misunderstand English in order to understand JE. Keisu by keisu--case by case. A catchall phrase meaning: it depends, maybe, no, sometimes, at times, or possibly. "Japan caisu by caisu" means, "The Japanese national team will win some games and lose some games depending on the strength of the teams they play against." Reberu uppu--Level up. This has nothing to do with stadium rows or levels. It means to improve or advance to a higher skill level. "Inamoto, reberu uppu Engurando" means "Junichi Inamoto advanced to the England Premier League." Bakku--Back. Means to go back home, or back to where someone came from. "Nakata baku" means Hidetoshi Nakata went back to Italy, will go back to Italy or is going back to Italy. Take your pick. JE is flexible! My kaa--My car. Also means your car or anybody else's car. Why we need a phrase for this, no one knows. "Saitama stajiumu my kaa" means, "Let's go to Saitama stadium by car." Goru--Goal. "Japan 2 goru secondo." Means the Japanese team scored two goals in the second half of the game. Fowado, middofiruda, deefenda --Forward, midfielder and defender. The word "fowado" accompanied by sucking in air between the teeth means, "Japan's weak point is that it has no strong forwards for scoring." Skinshippu--an invented word, "skinship," means togetherness. Warudo Kappu skinshippu means, "The World Cup brings togetherness." Now, try speaking Japanese English yourself: Warudo Kappu beri enjoy! or "Please enjoy the World Cup!" Beri goodo!