All Activity

I was thinking recently about how we organize the Memorial. Every year, we basically do the same things: brothers passing the emblems welcoming at the entrance seating assistance audio/technical support cleanup afterward But… the planning often ends up being a bit “ad hoc”. So I thought: why not treat the Memorial as a fixed set of activities, for example: Welcome Seating Talk Prayer (bread / wine) Emblems (bread / wine) Audio Cleanup And then for each Memorial: simply assign people to those activities Nothing complicated — just clear and structured. You could even use a standard template each year and just update the names. Do you already plan it this way, or keep it more flexible on purpose? I’ve been thinking about how to structure the Memorial in Baruch, and one idea that makes a lot of sense to me is to model it similarly to the Circuit Overseer Visit. In the CO visit, you have a set of fixed activities (like Meal, Lunch, Field Service, etc.), and then you simply assign people to those activities. So instead of treating it as something “special” or ad hoc each year, it could be handled the same way: define a set of standard activities and then assign people to them per Memorial event Would you model it the same way, or do you feel the Memorial needs a different approach?

Never heard paddleball or Typti but I'll look into those! There are lots of pickleball communities here but I don't know other brothers and sisters who like playing 😅 They mostly do badminton or just stay at home

Nice. Now it should be put on the website

esd_march_23.mp3

It's based on a novel, that is based on several cases during the 90s where the ruling decided to override the refusal. Interesting note: in 2024, the judges went the other way and respected the refusal.

First of all, I would not recommend this movie. The lawyer for the defendant (JW couple) does a better job of explaining why Witnesses don't accept blood than the couple or their 17-year old son does. Having said that, does anyone know the real facts behind this UK court case?

This is what Chat says: The movie your father is probably thinking of is Love on a Bet. Here’s why it matches the clues: It’s a black-and-white comedy from the 1930s. The story revolves around a wager. The main character makes a bet with his wealthy uncle that he can leave New York with no clothes or money and reach Los Angeles in 10 days, arriving with a new suit and $100. Early in the journey he has to improvise clothing and survive with almost nothing, which includes scenes where he uses a newspaper as clothing and convinces people (like a tailor) to help him. Much of the comedy comes from him talking his way into help and opportunities while completing the challenge. It stars Gene Raymond and Wendy Barrie. 🎬 Basic premise: A broke playwright makes a crazy bet that he can cross the country with nothing and arrive successful and well-dressed. Along the way he uses charm, clever tricks, and persuasion to survive. ✅ The bet, improvised clothing, black-and-white comedy, and talking people into helping him all line up with what your father remembers.

My son goes to play every Sunday afternoon with a group from our Hall. The group has expanded a little to include friends from nearby congregations. They love it!

Monday, March 23 Look out not only for your own interests, but also for the interests of others.—Phil. 2:4. How long should your courtship last? Hasty decisions often bring negative consequences. (Prov. 21:5) So your courtship should be long enough for you to get well-acquainted with the other person. However, you should not prolong the courtship unnecessarily. The Bible also says: “Expectation postponed makes the heart sick.” (Prov. 13:12) What can others do while a couple is courting? We could invite them to join us for a meal, for family worship, or for recreation. (Rom. 12:13) Do they need a chaperone, help with transportation, or a place where they can talk privately? If so, could we offer to help? (Gal. 6:10) If you are asked to chaperone, why not consider it a privilege? Be careful not to leave the couple completely alone, but also discern when they need time and space to talk privately. w24.05 30 ¶13-14

Any further news on this?

Diesel has gone up to £1.70 a litre from £1.40 only a few weeks ago. Petrol at £1.50 now. Trying to use the car less because of this.

I sent a message through the contact page and got a quick reply. Here’s what I sent: Hello Solin Team, I recently came across your app and I think the concept is excellent. A dedicated audio and video tool for the meetings is incredibly useful and could be a huge help. Kudos on the initiative! I can only imagine how much work goes into building something like this, especially since it seems to still be in the development phase. Since I am very careful about the software I install and recommend to the brothers, I took the liberty of running the installer through VirusTotal. I was glad to see it came back 100% clean (0/70), which speaks highly of your technical care. However, since the current website focuses mostly on the download and features, I noticed a few important details were missing that would make me feel completely confident in using and sharing the app. Would you mind clarifying a few points for me? * Privacy Policy and Data Handling: How is user data handled? Does the app use its own servers, and do they record or store any meeting data? Do you currently have a formal Privacy Policy document available? * Ownership and Team: Who is behind the development of Solin? Is it a personal project by a fellow brother, a group of developers, or is it tied to a specific company? * Code/Security: Is the project closed-source, or do you plan to make the code available on GitHub (or a similar platform) in the future for community auditing? I am asking this purely for the sake of transparency and security, as we are dealing with the privacy of a lot of people during the meetings. Thank you in advance for your time and attention! Warm regards, Fábio Guimarães O que foi respondido: Subject: Re: Questions about Solin App - Privacy, Team, and Security Hello Fábio, Thank you so much for your kind words and for reaching out! I also deeply respect and appreciate your diligence in running the installer through VirusTotal. When it comes to tools used by our brothers and sisters, security and privacy are absolutely paramount, so your questions are not only understandable but very welcome. To give you complete peace of mind, here are the transparent answers to your questions: * Privacy Policy and Data Handling: You will be happy to know that Solin does not collect or transmit any usage data or personal information. Everything runs locally on your PC. Since the app and website are still in active development, I haven't had the time yet to draft and publish a formal Privacy Policy page, but the rule is simple: your data is yours. Regarding network activity, the app makes only two external connections (GET requests) to the Solin server for maintenance purposes: 1. Version check: To verify if there are updates available. This sends an anonymous UUID (a random string generated locally, with no link to your identity or hardware) simply so the system can count how many active and unique versions are running. 2. Global notifications: To fetch important general system announcements and keep users informed. No telemetry, tracking, or meeting data is sent over the network. *Ownership and Team:* Solin is a 100% non-profit, personal project. There is no company or large organization behind it. It is developed and maintained exclusively by me, a fellow brother from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. *Code/Security:* The project is, and will remain, closed-source. While I understand the appeal of a community audit via open-source, keeping the code closed is a deliberate decision based on a few main reasons: - Security and Preventing Misuse: It prevents bad actors from taking the code to create malicious clones or fake versions that could spread misinformation while posing as the original app. - Quality Control: It allows me to maintain complete control over the project's direction, avoiding fragmented versions (forks) and ensuring a consistent and safe experience for everyone. - Time Management: As a solo developer, managing an open-source project (reviewing third-party code and keeping constant public documentation) consumes a lot of time. Keeping the code closed allows me to focus my limited free time directly on improving the app. That being said, I am always open to feedback and suggestions for improvement through this contact channel! I hope this clarifies how Solin works behind the scenes and gives you the necessary confidence to use and recommend it. Once again, thank you for your care for the brothers and sisters, and for taking the time to write such a thoughtful email. Warm regards, Alexsander Solin Developer

The app doesn’t ask for any setup or extra info—you just download it and start using it right away. That said, it really should still have something in place regarding a privacy policy. I’m guessing it’s missing because this is a very early version; the congregation where I saw it mentioned they got a welcome message when they first opened it, saying it was the first release. As for ownership, it’s possible the creator (or creators) just doesn’t want to make a big deal out of it or show off like “hey, look what I made.” I also checked Solin on VirusTotal, and it came back completely clean and safe. Anyway, I’ll try reaching out through the contact page to see if I can get more information.

No info about privacy policy, ownership, data handling etc makes it a red flag or early development version.

I would love some art of my favorite animal, sister Angeline! I've always loved bunny rabbits. Ever since we got a pet bunny, it made me love them even more! The one in my profile photo is Fluffy, he passed away in 2024 but I still remember him so fondly.

All crude oil needs to be refined or broken into separate components before it can be used. Some crude oil is lighter and sweeter, less sulphur, than others, so is easier to refine, but all crude oil needs to be refined before the separate components are blended into gasoline.

Our oil is dirty and must be refinded. Refinery is the issue here from my understanding. Whereas oil from the middle east is refined and much better than American oil.

Please leave all tangerines alone R C I M T

America Produces The Most Oil. So Why Are Gas Prices Surging? If the United States is the world’s largest oil producer—in fact, if we are energy independent—then why are we still at the mercy of global events? And how can prices spike instantly when the gasoline in the tank was made from cheaper oil weeks ago? People like easy answers, such as “corporate greed.” That is emotionally satisfying, but it doesn’t tell the full story. What’s happening is a function of global markets, supply chain realities, and predictable patterns in consumer behavior. In fact, much of what we’re seeing is exactly how the system is designed to work. The U.S. leads the world in oil production, but oil isn’t priced locally, nor are prices set by oil companies. Because the U.S. exports oil to the global markets, it’s priced globally by traders bidding for oil. That is a distinction many people do not realize. https://www.forbes.com/sites/rrapier/2026/03/20/america-produces-the-most-oil-so-why-are-gas-prices-surging/

Just for a moment… imagine something very simple… A refrigerator. It stands there… quiet… unmoving… maybe in a corner of your kitchen. From the outside… it seems completely ordinary. You can’t see what’s inside. You can’t hear anything. You can’t feel anything. And yet… we all know: Inside… there is something valuable. Something that nourishes us. Something that gives us strength. Something that sustains life. But… as long as it remains closed… everything stays hidden. And the light? It only turns on… when you open it. — Isn’t that a touching illustration… for something we have near us every day? The Bible. — Maybe it’s on your bedside table. Maybe on the table in your living room. Maybe even within reach on your phone. So close. And yet… sometimes so far away. — Because as long as it stays closed… the light stays off. Not just any light. But the light that warms our heart. The light that understands us. The light that tells us: “You are not alone.” — Brothers and sisters… how often are there days… when our heart feels heavy? Days when thoughts become loud… Thoughts like: “I’m not good enough.” “I can’t do this.” “Jehovah can’t really be pleased with me…” And especially on those days… the Bible sometimes remains closed. — Why? Because we are tired. Because we are empty. Because maybe we even feel a little ashamed. — But exactly then… exactly then… we need the light the most. — Now I would like to invite you… to imagine a scene very vividly. It is evening. A brother… or a sister… is sitting alone in their room. The light is dim. The day has been long. Maybe there were disappointments. Maybe something was said… that is now regretted. Maybe there is simply the feeling… of not being enough. — The thoughts grow louder. Heavier. Darker. — And there… just a few centimeters away… lies the Bible. — But the heart whispers: “Not today.” “You’re not worthy.” “Jehovah surely doesn’t want to hear from you right now.” — Do you know moments like that? These quiet battles… that no one sees… but that feel so real? — And then… very gently… the person reaches for the Bible. Not strong. Not confident. But hesitant. Maybe with tears in their eyes. — And then… they open it. — And in that very moment… the light turns on. — Not visible in the room. But felt in the heart. — Their eyes fall on a verse. Maybe Psalm 34:18: “Jehovah is close to the brokenhearted; He saves those who are crushed in spirit.” — And suddenly… it feels as if Jehovah himself is speaking. — Not loudly. Not harshly. Not condemning. — But gently. Lovingly. Deeply. — “I am here.” “I see you.” “I know your heart.” “And I am close to you.” — And in that moment… something changes. — Maybe not the circumstances. Maybe not immediately the problems. But the heart… becomes calmer. Lighter. Comforted. — Brothers and sisters… that is exactly what happens… when we open. — The Bible is not just a book. It is Jehovah’s voice. His heart. His thoughts… about you. — In Psalm 119:105 it says: “Your word is a lamp to my foot and a light for my path.” — A lamp doesn’t help… if it remains turned off. And a path does not become brighter… if we stay standing in the dark. — Jehovah has given us His Word… because He loves us. Because He knows… how often we need light. — Here is another illustration: Imagine someone writes you a letter every day. Every single day. With loving words. With thoughts like: “I’m thinking of you.” “I’m proud of you.” “I am here for you.” — But… you never open the letters. — What happens? The love is there. The words are there. But they don’t reach you. — Not because they aren’t powerful enough… but because they remain unopened. — Isn’t that exactly what sometimes happens? Jehovah writes to us. Every day. Through His Word. — But we have to open. — Maybe you’re thinking now: “Sometimes I read… but I don’t feel anything.” — Then the question might be: Am I only opening the pages… or am I also opening my heart? — Jehovah is not looking for perfect readers. He is looking for honest hearts. — Hearts that say: “Jehovah… I am tired.” “Jehovah… I don’t understand everything.” “Jehovah… but I need you.” — And every time we open like that… the light turns on. — Maybe very quietly. Maybe very gently. — But always real. Always loving. Always from Jehovah. — So… the next time you have a difficult moment… when your heart grows quiet… when your thoughts pull you down… — then remember this simple thought: The refrigerator… — the light only turns on… when you open it. — And you can only take something out of it… under the same condition. — Open the Bible. Not out of obligation. But out of longing. — Open it… and let Jehovah speak to your heart. — Because when you open… you will realize: You were never alone. — Jehovah was there the whole time… waiting… so patiently… so lovingly… — until you open… and His light fills your heart.

Not just included, upgraded highly! PLATA

esd_march_22.mp3

Look at the last bullet point. it is designed to work in support of, not in place of, existing UN principal organs (like the Security Council) and operational agencies. So, work in cooperation with the Security Council, of which the United States is a permanent member with veto power. The UN will never accomplish anything the US opposes so long as the US can veto any proposed action. Same holds true with any of the other permanent members - UK, France, Russia, and China. This is why the UN is ineffective. It has no real power because the US & UK (King of the South) is eternally at odds with Russia & China (King of the North).