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Qapla

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  1. Actually, following the recent direction about "where the Bible is silent, we are silent", the answer to Adam having as belly button is: It is possible Jehovah gave him one ... the Bible does not say either way
  2. Some years back I came across a Russellite in the course of my secular work. I had witnessed to her in the course of conversation while I was working in her office. That's when she told me she was a Russellite. She said they held meetings once a month in a town about 35 miles south of us. Even though I had not known there were any Russellites in our area nor did I know they held meetings - it did NOT make me want to look them up, do research about them or dig any deeper. If someone asked me to prove that there are active Russellites in our area I would simply tell them they could research it - that I have no interest in digging into such a subject. Just because someone asks about another religion does not mean we have to go research that religion to teach them the truth. I would not search YouTube to find out about meetings for Baptists, Catholics, Lutherans, Mormons, Russellites, Bible Students or any other religion ... I would show someone how to find a JW meeting by using jw.org
  3. There are Cacti (cactus) that can work for your area Outdoor Varieties (Can stay out year-round with strict drainage) These specific varieties can tolerate freezing winter temperatures, provided their roots are kept bone-dry: Prickly Pear (Opuntia humifusa): The absolute best outdoor choice for the UK. It is seriously tough, handles the damp better than any other cactus, and multiplies rapidly by dropping flat pads that easily root into new plants. It even produces beautiful yellow summer flowers. Tree Cholla (Cylindropuntia imbricata): A highly architectural, frost-hardy upright cactus. It branches out rapidly into a miniature shrub-like structure when given maximum sun. Indoor Varieties (Best for quick multiplication) If kept on a bright, south-facing windowsill, these varieties will multiply quickly by throwing off "pups" (baby offshoots) around their base, which you can easily detach and repot: Rebutia (Crown Cactus): Extremely beginner-friendly, free-flowering, and clusters incredibly fast into low mounded clumps. Echinopsis (Hedgehog Cactus): Fills out containers rapidly by clustering heavily at the base and produces massive, fragrant flowers in the summer. The Strict Rules for Sussex Cactus Success The Soil Mixture: Standard UK multi-purpose compost retains too much water and will cause root rot. You must mix your soil to be at least 50% sharp sand, grit, or perlite to guarantee instant drainage. Pot Material: Always use terracotta pots. Terracotta is breathable and allows wet soil to dry out much faster than plastic pots. Winter Rain Shelter: If keeping hardy cacti outdoors, place them under the eaves of the house, against a south-facing brick wall, or under a transparent porch roof from October to March to block the winter rain. Watering: Water heavily but infrequently from April to September (allowing the soil to dry out completely between waterings). Stop watering completely during the dark winter months 1. Hardy Geranium (Cranesbill, e.g., Rozanne) Care Level: Virtually Zero Why It Works: Unlike tender bedding geraniums, these are tough perennials that survive the wet West Sussex winters. They spread rapidly, tumble over container edges, and bloom continuously from June until the first winter frosts. Maintenance: None. Chop them back to the ground in late autumn, and they will return larger the next spring. 2. Hosta (Plantain Lily) Care Level: Very Low Why It Works: Hostas thrive in the damp, shaded, or semi-shaded environments common in South East England. They grow into massive, lush mounds of foliage very quickly, completely filling a container in a single season. Maintenance: Keep the soil damp. Protect them from slugs using copper tape around the rim of your pot. 3. Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) Care Level: Low Why It Works: A fantastic "spiller" plant with bright golden-green leaves that roots itself wherever it touches soil. It cascades dramatically down the sides of pots and hanging baskets, multiplying at a rapid pace. Maintenance: Needs regular watering during dry spells to maintain its vibrant color. 4. Perennial Wallflower (Erysimum 'Bowles's Mauve') Care Level: Low Why It Works: A coastal Sussex superstar. It loves sunshine, handles salty sea air, is highly drought-tolerant once established, and flowers for up to nine months of the year without stopping. Maintenance: Plant in a pot with excellent drainage and a grit-heavy compost mix Winter Drainage: Because West Sussex gets a high volume of winter rain, always raise your containers off the ground using "pot feet" or bricks. This prevents the compost from waterlogging and freezing the roots.
  4. @Ishaya Here is the US, on the rare occasion that someone didn't bring something to eat, some nearby will offer something. But, for the most part, that does not happen often. Since the direction from the US Branch is to bring a simple meal for yourself, that is what most do. It is not common for lunch at a US Convention to be a jamboree altogether. It is also not common for ones to come without a lunch ... unless they are on a diet and don't eat lunch - I have seen some do this.
  5. While looking into this, it was the first time I head of Perplexity. I might have to give it a look ...
  6. A little background: I have been enjoying creating songs with Suno AI. I use the free version so there are limitations. It seems to do a nice job at creating legitimate sounding songs. If you want, you can simply type a prompt like, "I want a blues song about changing the oil in my car." and it will write the lyrics and the music, complete with a singer. It will sound fairly good. You can also write your own lyrics and have Suno provide the music. In playing with this, I have found the Suno AI, while it is great at the music, the lyrics are a bit generic and predictable. So, I tried other AI engines to help in writing lyrics. So far, I have tried ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Of these, I have found the GPT works best for lyrics. With that in mind, I did a little checking to see what the Internet said ... Here is some of what the Internet told me: AI tools include ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, Perplexity AI, and Microsoft Copilot. Choosing the right alternative depends on the specific task you want to accomplish: Best for Writing & Coding: Claude is highly regarded for its natural tone, reduced hallucinations, and strong coding capabilities. Best for Google Ecosystem: Google Gemini natively integrates with Google Workspace, making it ideal for summarizing emails, docs, and calendar events. Best for Web Research: Perplexity AI acts as an AI search engine, providing direct answers with cited sources With that in mind: Do you use AI? What has been your experience? Which AI engine do you prefer? Do you use more than one AI? Feel free to chime in on what your personal experience has been and why you use the particular AI you use. Please, do not try to turn this thread into an, "I hate AI" topic or other disparaging comments on the evils of AI - those types of comments will be removed from the thread.
  7. Here are my newest songs. The other day I went to the drive-thru at McDonalds near the job I had just finished to grab some lunch. The line was not moving. I sat there waiting. I was in the right-hand lane just after the split. There was a car behind me. The girl came on the box a couple times to tell me it would still "a minute or two" ... they had to reboot the computer. After about 10 minutes, I checked mu mirrors and saw I could back up and leave the lane since the car behind me was not right on my bumper. So, that's what I did. On my way home, I pass another McDonalds, so I stopped there and found the line was quite long - although it was moving. This was the inspiration for this song about going to the drive-thru at McDonalds. A brother I Zoom Chat with regularly who lives in Vermont (he is a member of this forum) has some black raspberries that grow wild behind his house. He picks them and gets enough that he can freeze some for use during the cold, snowy winter. That prompted my next song. After being inspired by this brother, I was inspired by my close relationship with my own fleshly brother, also a JW. We have lived on the same property we grew up on most of our lives. We used to work secularly together at various times and are friends as well as brothers. When we can, we like to go fishing together just to relax. That is the inspiration for the third song in this group.
  8. I know some people said about Wikipedia the same things they say about AI - that it can't be trusted because there are errors in some of the information. I have not had the issues of AI giving me ALL wrong information or constant hallucinations. I have found that AI works fine when used correctly. Often it comes down to phrasing the question/prompt correctly. Of course, I am not relying on AI for legal advice, medical advice or ways to get around legal restrictions. When I have used AI to find out how to fix an issue with my vehicle it has given me reliable information and directed me to the appropriate places for videos, parts and/or diagnostics. Likewise, when I ask Alexa to turn on/off certain lights, it always gets the right ones. My 'problem' with AI is the number of people who seem to view it as a companion, comforter, or otherwise actually as an 'intelligent' thing. The AI we have now is basically a massive 'search engine on steroids'. In other words, it is a tool. Like any other tool, there is the potential for misuse or misunderstanding of how that tool should be used.
  9. Agatha Gutenaries told Detrick Abernacky D J Y V M
  10. Amount of salt needed to properly season a dish depends greatly on individual tatse.

Qapla last won the day on December 13 2025

Qapla had the most liked content!

About Qapla

Member's Public Information

  • Gender
    Brother
  • First Name
    John
  • Relationship Status
    Married - 42 years and going strong
  • Displayed Location
    Florida - near some really good fishing ~ fresh and salt
  • Publisher
    Yes
  • Baptized
    Yes

How I Found the Truth

  • How I found the Truth
    See this thread
    https://jwtalk.net/topic/8989-how-did-you-get-the-truth/?do=findComment&comment=145062

My Hobbies & Interests

  • My Interests
    Writing
    Wood working
    Fishing
  • My favorite books
    Mysteries
  • My favorite music
    REAL Country
  • My favorite movies
    Star Trek
    Star Wars

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