It’s been a while since I did some of these. Just as fun – and a bit inaccurate – as always.

You See the World Through Blue Colored Glasses

You live your life with tranquility. You have faith that things will work themselves out with time. You judge all your interactions through the lens of hope. You try to get all the facts before forming your opinion. You face challenges with wisdom. You know that all bad things pass, and you have the confidence to see problems through. You see love as the utmost expression of trust. Your relationships tend to be peaceful and stable. At your worst, you can be cool, melancholy, and detached. You sometimes have to step back from emotionally charged situations. You are at your happiest when you are able to reflect and relax.

If you really want a treat, get yourself some rose-colored glasses. The world really does look better. My current sunglasses are amber. My old rose mirrorshades are too scratched up to wear anymore, and I haven’t found a new pair that was the right color and the right price…

You Are 40% Extrovert, 60% Introvert

You’re a bit outgoing, a bit reserved Like most people, you enjoy being social But you also value the time you have alone You have struck a good balance!

Hmmm… that actually seems about right. I’m not sure that it’s so much a balance as a situational flexibility. The extroverted side feels a bit less natural to me – a little over-energetic – and I can’t sustain it over long periods of time. I sink into a very comfortable groove when I’m alone – daydreaming, reading, listening to music, writing, observing, thinking, questioning… That’s my center.

Never Date a Virgo

Demanding, picky, and a total perfectionist – there’s no way you want to live up to Virgo’s standards. It’s not that you couldn’t please a Virgo… you would just hate yourself for doing it. Instead try dating: Libra, Leo, Aquarius, or Aries

So noted (My husband is a Libra).

Where's your dream home?

Mountains You might like to live in the mountains! With the cooler temperatures, and nature all around you.

Absolutely! But as long as we’re fantasizing about that, I’d also want some sort of personal flyer or hovercraft. Driving on mountain roads can get to be a bit tedious after a while.

You Are Not Destined to Rule the World

You are destined for something else… Like inventing a new type of cupcake. You just don’t have the stomach for brutality. But watch out – because many people do!

Not destined to rule the world? Darn. Because I’m not brutal enough? And here I was thinking that it was the lack of meekness thing.

You Are A Lily

You are a nurturer and all around natural therapist. People see you as their rock. And they are able to depend on you. You are a soothing influence. You can make people feel better with a few words. Your caring has more of an impact than even you realize.

Nurturer? I’m not liking the way this is going. First cupcake inventress, now this. It’s true that I’m very good to have around in a crisis, but I don’t really think that “soothing” is the first adjective that would come to mind…

So here are some about how the various places I’ve lived might continue to have an influence – or not:

You Are 52% Massachusetts

You’re likely a Massachusetts transplant. Big rotaries still scare you, and you probably live outside of 495.

Yes. Big rotaries scare me, but being born in Massachusetts and living there for more than 20 years didn’t change that. And yes, I think every place I ever lived was outside 495.

Iowa City wasn’t really so much about the rural life. The quiz didn’t even ask about the Amana Colonies! The best question was about the festival that is held in Pella; I was really, really tempted to select “Window” festival…

How French are You?

You got 127 points. You’ve finally lived long enough in France for other people to notice your existence!

Sure, NOW! Actually, I would move to Paris in a heartbeat if I could make a living there. I miss it.

You Are 32% California

You’re not from California – don’t try to game this quiz!

Ok, I’m not really sure that a summer near UCLA really counts… but it was fun.

I’ve been here in Georgia since 1992. Most Georgians still place me in the “damn Yankee” category, but Atlanta is a little bit different. There are people from all over the world living in Atlanta. I’ve tried to understand the heritage and history, but I would have to say “not really” on the pride. The weather is great, and I’ve met some wonderful people here, but it’s a tough place for me to live in many ways.

You Are Pinot Noir

Sophisticated and worldly, you probably know more about wine than most drinkers. You have great taste, and you approach all aspects of life with a gourmet attitude. You believe that the little things in life should be cherished and enjoyed… and of the best quality possible. And while you may take more time to eat a meal or tour a city, it’s always time well spent. Deep down you are: A seductive charmer Your partying style: Refined. And you would never call it “partying” Your company is enjoyed best with: Stinky expensive cheese

Stinky expensive cheese? Gah!

Your Famous Last Words Will Be:

“What we know is not much. What we don’t know is enormous.”

This global incident map of terrorism and other activities updates every 30 seconds.

On 6-24-2007

• AFGHANISTAN-NATO Kills 60 Taliban Terrorists In Operations In Afghanistan-Pakistan Border
• AFGHANISTAN-Lashkar Gah-Soldiers attacked by Afghan roadside bomb
• AFGHANISTAN-Lashkar Gah-Over a dozen Taliban, coalition soldier killed
• AFGHANISTAN-Andar-Taliban seize 18 Afghan mine clearing experts
• AFGHANISTAN-Musa Qala-Taliban behead local police chief’s son
• COLOMBIA-Buenaventura-Bomb kills at least two in troubled Colombia port
• GAZA-Palestinian Territory-BBC Journalist wearing bomb belt seen in new video
• INDIA-Nagpur-Cops on high alert due to letter threat
• IRAQ-Mosul-Iraqi journalist shot to death on her way home
• IRAQ-Hillah-Car bomb strikes Hillah
• IRAQ-Baghdad-Chemical Ali sentenced to hang
• LEBANON-Khiyam-Car bomb kills 6 U.N. soldiers in Lebanon
• LEBANON-Metulla-Lebanon Bomb Kills 4 U.N. Peacekeepers
• NIGERIA-Osogbo-Plans to Bomb Campaign HQ Exposed
• PAKISTAN-Kashmir-At Least 11 SOG Personnel Injured in Bomb Blast
• SOMALIA-Mogadishu-Four Wounded in a Grenade Explosion in Mogadishu
• SOMALIA-Mogadishu-Unknown gunman shoots two people dead
• USA-Riverside-University Of California Bomb Threat Initially Suspect May Have Had Serious Motives
• VENEZUELA-Caracas-Chavez Predicts Resistance War With US

The leadership of Jehovah’s Witnesses has begun losing its court battles at last. Failing to cooperate with the “worldly authorities” in California will no longer be tolerated by the court. What this appears to mean, first of all, is that their database of known predators must be turned over, as well as documents having to do with JW internal judicial hearings.

Even the old standby of the “theocratic strategy” – (that it’s perfectly ethical and ok with God for JWs to lie and withold information from non-JW authorities, because such authorities are of this Satanic worldly system of things) – won’t be of much help in this circumstance. Maybe they should hire the U.S. Attorney General; he seems to be good at bad-guy CYA legal work.

Recent decisions in California Courts have ruled in favor of abuse survivors in that state. The Legal Department lawyers of Jehovah’s Witnesses have fought with filing after filing trying to claim “clergy penitent privilege” with information that would lead to the possible conviction or implication of further crimes against children by Jehovah’s Witness child molesters. The secondary issue regards civil damages brought upon victims due to negligence of church officials in not reporting allegations of child abuse putting additional children in danger.

This ruling from the court states simply that the church cannot use “clergy penitent privilege” as a way to protect pedophiles from law enforcement. The ruling further states information stated in judicial hearings of Jehovah’s Witnesses as well as documents generated by those hearings are not “privileged” and will have to be released to the courts as any information that is relevant to the case. In addition, the Legal Department will have to produce all documents related to their abuse policy and how they investigate child abuse allegations. Most importantly the ruling states; “records kept by or under the direction of the Legal Department concerning allegations of abuse,” that directly involves the pedophile database reported by silentlambs in April of 2002. This represents the first official ruling of the court that opens the database for public scrutiny.

Read the Ruling (pdf)

This judgment is bitter sweet as in 2003 in New Hampshire silentlambs officials watched as Jehovah’s Witnesses attorneys defended the “religious right” of convicted child molester Paul Berry to prevent further convictions on allegations of his abuse of other children. Thousands of dollars in donations to Jehovah’s Witnesses known as Worldwide Work monies were spent silencing the victims of Paul Berry. Each time you donate to Jehovah’s Witnesses a portion of that money will be spent defending the rights of convicted Jehovah’s Witness pedophiles from their victims. The California case above to date has involved hundreds of thousands of dollars of Jehovah’s Witness donations to stop victims of abuse from getting needed treatment for the crimes committed against them.

The religious hypocrisy of offering articles on abuse issues while secretly protecting pedophiles using “clergy penitent privilege” is far worse than the Catholic Church abuse scandal. This month the Jehovah’s Witnesses are distributing this tract worldwide. They openly condemn the Catholic Church for their abuse scandal and use it as a basis to call them a “false religion.”

Do members realize their Legal Department Lawyer elders are protecting pedophiles in the courts using the money they collect door to door to do so?

At silentlambs we appreciate the determination and courage of abuse survivors in going forward in the courts to bring these criminals to justice. We look forward to the day when the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses follows the example set by the Pope of the Catholic Church and apologizes for their role in allowing policies that continue to hurt children. The “truth” will prevail and no amount of Worldwide Work Donations spent to protect child molesters will stop the real truth of these matters from being discovered in the courts. The pedophile database holds the key to that “truth.”

(Thanks to the Silent Lambs newsletter, and to Brenda and Danny for sending me the item. Thanks to all of the people who have stood up to “witness” and testify against abusers and predators (and their organizational protectors!). Special thanks to attorneys like Love and Norris.)

More Information:

See the Silent Lambs collection of molesters in the news, court transcripts, and multimedia sources on Watchtower policies and victims of abuse.

Spiritual Shepards – CBC, Fifth Estate (transcript at LambsRoar)

Suffer the Little Children – BBC-1

Witness for the Prosecution – NBC Dateline (transcript at Watchtower Information Service)

Witnesses Accused of Failing to Report Abuse (Christianity Today)

Sex Abuse: Witness Leaders Accused of Shielding Molesters (Christianity Today)

A suspected sexual predator who disappeared last year after being charged in San Diego with child molestation has been added to the U.S. Marshals Service’s 15 Most Wanted fugitive list (photo posted).

Jehovah’s Witness Brother Frederick McLean (aka Frederick McClean, aka Rick McClain) was a member of the congregation in Vista and Oceanside, CA during the last 25 years. He was a pioneer and Ministerial Servant, and was recently disfellowshipped. Most of the news reports have omitted any reference to his long involvement with Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The mother of 2 of McLean’s alleged victims says he used Jehovah’s Witness congregations to seduce the victims.

“His preferred age of his victim was from 6 or 7 years old to 12 years old. Some of his victims did come forward . . . Some of the victims we have identified are now adults. Some of the victims identified are still children.”

Investigators believe McLean’s abusive acts against young victims span over a 20-year period. One alleged victim, now an adult, reported that McLean assaulted her more than 100 times, starting when she was 5 and ending some 7 years later.

Frederick McLean, 55, is wanted on multiple counts of sexual assault on a child. In May 2004, family members of an alleged molestation victim confronted McClean, who admitted the allegations were true, prompting them to call the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. McClean’s wife left him after the confrontation, and he later signed divorce papers and transferred financial assets to her. The last known sighting of the suspect was in September, when he made contact with his ex-wife.

McLean last lived in the Riverside-area community of Winchester, but detectives believe most of the alleged crimes occurred in San Diego County. He is the former owner of a race car restoration and sales business, may be driving a small, dark-colored pickup truck or a 1955 Chevrolet, license number 4WQH018. He is described as 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing 170 pounds. He has brown hair and hazel eyes. McLean is considered armed and dangerous, and possibly suicidal.

A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered for information leading to McLean’s arrest. Anyone with information is urged to call the nearest U.S. Marshals Service office, or the agency’s 24-hour hotline at 1-800-336-0102.

I called just because their posting didn’t include anything about his JW involvement. He could be accepted into any Kingdom Hall. They don’t really keep tabs on who might be disfellowshipped, and if he’s talking the talk, he’ll most likely be taken in. He would stick out anywhere else, but he could blend in very easily in a JW context. I hope they’ll add that to the information on the site – anyway, they said that they would pass on the information to the investigating officer.