Matching Tracksuits

If you're the leader of a sect that believes in one-man (very much "man"), top-down leadership, how do you get your biography written?

Simple: you tell your staff to do it.

David C. Pack has held a variety of leadership roles throughout his dynamic, event-filled life: author of more than 20 books, scores of booklets and a vast array of articles–Pastor General of The Restored Church of God–voice of The World to Come program–founder of Ambassador Training Center–publisher/editor-in-chief of three magazines. The Authorized Biography of David C. Pack tells the life story of a man who was carefully prepared by God for a unique position. (RCG)

We can read the details of the life of David Pack, the Restored Church of God's Pastor General, in painful detail: Volume One is a whopping 615 pages to cover 1948 through 1995! Volume Two is an additional 608 pages. It's tempting to ask, "What did you leave out, Dave?"

He seems to have anticipated this:

Since an unusually wide range of experiences has enriched my life, a certain problem was created for the writers: which stories and encounters should be included in the biography. Of course, there were certain ones that had to be incorporated because of their transcending influence or impact on my life. The biography would fail in purpose if it did not contain them, coupled with an explanation of why they were important. This alone meant a lot of material needed to be included.

There was also a desire to relate stories that are of lesser importance, but that have had a role in shaping me nonetheless. It is not the biography’s purpose to make every one of these seem overly important or to present them as in every case having brought dramatic transformations in my thinking. Of course, some did. Both I and the many writers who participated struggled with how many, and which, stories to include, as well as when to cut off stories with the overall length of the biography in mind!

It was not the goal to bring in every story in my life, or every experience I have had. But, we believe that every one chosen adds to the overall picture of what shaped me, and it is my hope that the reader benefits and is left motivated, better informed and even inspired for having read them.

I can't imagine pretending to be humble and appearing to all others to be exactly the opposite. Of course, if I thought I was, literally, the most significant person on the Earth, I might include the details about the time I sneezed and panicked at not having a tissue, or the time I thought I might ask a girl out but then wondered whether she would reject me.

Perhaps trying to ride the coattails of Expelled, the Restored Church of God sect -- one of many predicting the end of the world in "a few short years" -- has begun publishing a series on evolution at its sister site, The Real Truth. In an article entitled "Evolution Exposed: Deconstructing False Science", Bradford G. Schleifer attempts to explain all the rational faults in the theory of evolution, deconstructing it in one blow. Rather, a series of them, for this is only part one.

We might begin by asking about Schleifer's scientific creditials, but that would probably be going against the spirit of the article:

Review the evidence with an open mind. Do not allow any existing bias to blind you to this crucial understanding. The implications are much greater than you probably realize.

An open mind means a couple of things. For some readers, it means that Schleifer wants us to set aside any prejudices we might have against creationism. But why should this be the case? I have a prejudice against voodoo, but I think Schleifer would agree with me on that one. I have a prejudice against phrenology. What do voodoo and phrenology have in common, with each other and creationism? They're not science. But I doubt Schleifer -- as most creationists -- understands what that means.

"An open mind" also means an empty mind -- empty of all understanding of evolution. That way, Schliefer can create an evolutionary straw man (most creationists already have one firmly in place for evolution) that he can then demolish.

Schliefer quickly shows his ignorance, asking "Why is evolution cemented in the minds of many as fact, when it is nothing more than theory?"

Apparently, Schliefer either had awful science teachers in high school or didn't pay attention in science class. To begin an article asking why it's called a theory is to expose a depth of ignorance that is simply stunning. Gravity exists, but there is such a thing as gravitational theory, but that doesn't mean that gravity is not a fact. This is a favorite straw man of creationists, though: create a false dichotomy between "fact" and "theory."

Schliefer continues in the same, uneducated manner:

Certain aspects of evolution may be confusing and difficult to understand. Do not be surprised! The rationale invented to support evolution is bewildering and complicated. It is tiresome and boring. Certain facts are conveniently left behind, and tedious scholarly language is used to stop most people from examining the subject in detail. Left frustrated, most assume evolution to be fact.

Each sentence in this short passage is loaded beyond belief. What's he really saying?

• Certain aspects of evolution may be confusing and difficult to understand.
  "I'm assuming you're a complete idiot and can't understand 'complicated' things. Don't worry -- I'll explain them all."
• The rationale invented to support evolution is bewildering and complicated.
  "Your small mind might be unable to understand these deep, convoluted secrets, but don't worry -- it doesn't mean you're stupid. It just means you're stupid."
• It is tiresome and boring.
  "I slept through biology."
• Certain facts are conveniently left behind, and tedious scholarly language is used to stop most people from examining the subject in detail.
  "When I flipped through a few issues of Scientific American as part of the 'research' I did on this article, I didn't understand much of what I read. Therefore, the authors must be conspiring to deceive me."
• Left frustrated, most assume evolution to be fact.
  "Unless you haven't taken my advice -- you haven't approached the subject with an openness to be wrong -- and you've been convinced for any period of time about creationism; then you'll just assume evolution is wrong."

Treating the reader with condescension is not the rhetorical technique I've ever seen, and usually, it makes it difficult to continue reading. However, I read this and I'm hooked, just like the old SNL skit where everyone's tasting the rancid milk and rubbing Chris Farley's sweaty belly: just how bad can this get?

Schliefer increases the level of dolt rhetoric in the very next passage:

This series will demystify the subject. You will know if evolution is science fact or science fiction. Convoluted and illogical theories will be simplified in a way never before presented. While some sections are technical, the more detail given, the better you will be able to see through the theory’s “smoke and mirrors.” Clear and simple logic always destroys ill-conceived suppositions.

"Smoke and mirrors" -- I'm immediately wondering if they're going to be dealing with anything of any substance. For example, will he mention chromosomal fusion? Will he deal with comparative biology and embryology and how they provide evidence for evolution?

The old fact/theory "proof" is not the only worn out argument that Schliefer uses. He goes for the obvious: the Law of Entropy disproves evolution argument:

Linking cause and effect with another set of scientific laws–thermodynamics–makes the picture sharper. The word “thermodynamics” comes from the Greek words therme, meaning “heat or energy,” and dunamis, meaning “power.”

What the Greek roots have to do with anything is anyone's guess. Could it be an attempt to seem erudite? Nah -- that's too blazingly obvious.

The entropy argument goes like this: all things are in a state of decay, based on the law of entropy. Therefore, if life had been evolving for billions of years, eventually entropy would have taken over and wound down everything that evolution wound up.

But it's not so simple:

it is only the over-all entropy of a complete, or closed system that must increase when spontaneous change occurs. In the case of spontaneously interacting sub-systems of a closed system, some may gain entropy, while others may lose entropy. For example, it is a fundamental axiom of thermodynamics that when heat flows from subsystem A to subsystem B, the entropy of A decreases and the entropy of B increases. The statement that an increase in order can only occur as the result of a directional mechanism, program, or code is misleading. Any process that can be demonstrated to take place with an increase in order/decrease in entropy is arbitrarily deemed to be the consequence of an undefined "directional mechanism." (TalkOrigins.org)

But that's science. Schliefer is only interested in science insofar as it seems to back up creationism, such as a non-creationist expressing doubts about evolution, which proves that even the scientists themselves don't believe it but go on with the great conspiracy of evolution.

I can't wait to see what "Part 2" includes.

Evolution Exposed: Deconstructing False Science--Part 1

Dave Pack is stuck in a rut. Or maybe you’d call it an obsession. I would imagine it’s about all he talks about: the stats for his site.

In his latest sermon, “RCG 2007: Looking Ahead,” he talks about one really: web site stats. For about ninety minutes he goes on and on (and on and on) all the countries that are visiting his site, about all various government agencies are coming to his site, about how his site is so much bigger than any of the other splinters’.

How has he done it? The Google ad campaign. He finally gives some numbers on that.

Our ads have been shown over 700 million times. Other groups will talk about that, they don’t talk about it quite as much because they understand how big we are. And they’ve been clicked on, by the end of this month, 4 million times. Now, if you put a billboard up […] you get about one percent response. […] We’re finding that of the people who are seeing our ads, are coming to our site, and we’re only paying for those.

Shown 700 million times and clicked on 3 million times?! Wow! That’s a staggering 0.57% response! And that’s all he says about it. He doesn’t give any details about how many people, on clicking through, have actually stuck around. I suspect a great number of those clicks are from those who would like to see the RCG’s money wasted, and so they click just to cost them a nickel.

“So, cut to the chase — who comes to Dave’s site?” you’re asking. Well, the truth of the matter is, we really don’t know. Neither does Dave. He thinks he knows, but as we’ve discussed here before, getting a hit is not the same as getting a visitor. But don’t tell Dave — it’d break his heart. Anyway, without further ado, I present The List, more or less verbatim:

• Courts: Court of the Crown Prince of Bahrain; the European Court of Justice; the International Criminal Court
• Departments and ministries: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; Saudi Arabia Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Kuwait Ministry of Communications
• Embassies: Russian Embassy in China; Iranian Embassy in the Philippines; the South Korean Embassy in Belgium; the Austrian Embassy in Israel; the Israeli Embassy in Canada
• Prime ministers and presidents: (“Somebody in the office.”) Presidential Office and Computer Department of Iran; the Philippines; Lithuania; Australia; Prime Minister of the Palestinian Territory
• News media: the Economist; the International Herald Tribune; Boston Globe; Washington Post; Toronto Star; New York Times; Washington Times; Jordanian News Agency
• Misc: Joint Command Southeast Headquarters; the Pentagon; United States Air Force; US Navy

That’s just to his main RCG site. The following have been seen virtually thumbing through the Real Truth

• Embassies in the US: Sudan; China; Bosnia; Canada; Botswana; Belgium; Saudi Arabia
  Prime Minister’s and President’s offices in London, Iran, the Philippines, South Korea, and Russia
• Associated Press;
• Foreign Governments: Israel, South Africa
• Misc: NATO headquarters, pentagon, NYC police department, CIA, Navy, Army, Air Force, United Nations (in Vienna, Geneva, etc)

Of particular interest to Dave is the increase in the visits from the Vatican. He explains that, for some time now, the Vatican has been coming every now and then, but only taking one item each visit. “One, one, one, one, one, one, then 22. And we know what they went in to see. Christmas booklet—couldn’t have been happy.” That’s right, Dave. They read your Christmas booklet — rather, your paraphrase of Armstrong’s — and now they’re plotting how to shut you up. Permanently.

Of course, says, Pack

I don’t know that [Pope] Benedict [XVI] went to 22 pages on our website. At some point whoever did it is going to go back and report it to him. […] That will happen. […] It may have already happened. […] It may have been the visit that he said, “Find out more, and get back to me,” with a thick German accent. I don’t know.

Perhaps nothing he’s said before so clearly illustrates how little thought Pack really puts into what he says. Benedict speaks English in the Vatican?! The content of the imaginary command is just as ludicrous. It sounds as if Pack has been reading too many cheap spy novels and Chick tracts in his free time.

Pack is clearly delusional. Think of what he’s suggesting: because he’s saying Christmas is pagan in origin the Vatican is going to put a contract out on him. Compared to death threats, feces-smeared Virgins, murdered nuns, I think any suggesting that Pack’s little pack would elicit more than a laugh from anyone in the Vatican is, itself, laughable.

So the Vatican, the CIA and the NYPD are all visiting Dave’s site. The question is, how realistic is Dave’s understanding of all this? Talking about presidential offices supposedly visiting his site, he says that it doesn’t have to be the president, of course. It could be “Joe the Janitor down in the basement.” But he says that he doesn’t “know that Joe the Janitor would have access to the International Criminal Court website.”

What is he talking about? Is he saying that Joe the Janitor wouldn’t have internet access while working at the International Criminal Court? Is he saying that Joe the Janitor would somehow be trying to access the International Criminal Court’s website through the RCG, or vice versa? Is this just a misspoken bit of nonsense? Or is it an illustration of how very little Pack really knows about internet technology?

Dave’s a smart man, so I’ll reluctantly go with it being a verbal stumble. Yet such verbal stumbles often reveal hidden truths. For instance, in the same sermon, Pack begins talking about how Christ could raise up stones to do the work — literally. And then: “I’ve used and recognized certain people. ‘That’s just a rock.’” There you have it — David Pack finally fessing up to his entire leadership model since he’s been in a position of any sort of authority: he uses people.

It’s good that he’s admitted that. Admitting you have a problem is the first step to solving it, David. We’re all proud of you…

Dave Pack has another sermon. I slogged through it. Notes:

• The website will still be up after they flee.
• He quotes HWA saying that people will be riveted to their televisions watching _The World Tomorrow_. Pack corrects him — they won’t be watching WT and they won’t be riveted in front of their TVs.
• “We will be the hot topic at all the Starbucks and coffee houses.”
• “We’re going to grow so huge that […] all of the other splinters are going to be reduced to the size of a microdot.”
• “I’m going to show you an incredible prophecy that applies to us, and you’ve not thought about it for years, and maybe most of you have _never_ thought about it.” The incredible prophecy? I can’t remember. It was that amazing.
• “People are going to be talking the world over about the incredible innovations at our site.” Let’s see if any tech magazines write about it.
• “The huge, national-archives-like nature of our site.” Their little pile of nonsense would instantly be lost in the national archives.
• “Thousands and thousands of my sermons are heard every week.” At least he’s honest about what’s important.
• “’Then will they know that a prophet has been among you.’ That reference to ‘prophet’ is kind of interesting.” Ezekiel 33. He never says anything more about it, but, as ridiculous as it seems, I swear I’m sometimes convinced he’s going to try to say he’s one of the Two Prophets — maybe both.
• “They wonder from sea to sea.” He quotes, then asks, “Does this sound like the United States? Does this sound like the United Kingdom? Does this sound like Australia? Canada? South Africa? New Zealand?” Yes, and it sounds like Africa, Central America, Antarctica, Asia, South America, and Europe!
• The WCG was a type of the RCG — on a smaller scale.
• “’Oh, that’s arrogant!’ No it’s not! It’s just one speaking who understands how God warns.” He seems obsessed with the fact that people call him arrogant. Wonder why…
• He’s soon going to reveal what happens at 1,335 days! Answer: nothing.
• When they flee, they might put a message up on the site: “We’re turning out the lights and gone. Don’t bother to send any more mail, but you can continue reading. […] Wanna read where we are? Go read _God’s Promised Protection_. The Place of Safety. No one can answer your mail there. ” And we’ll all be saying, “Of course — they’ve gone off to drink cyanide in the jungle.”
• “There’s an army plotting to stop us. I mean, this is not all going to happen in a dark closet. […] This is all going to happen in the broad light of day, high noon, with no clouds in the sky. Very bright. The whole world’s going to know what happened.” Delusional. Simply delusional.
• Prophecy of Rev 10 is about us — the Little Book chapter!
• Little Book is Ezekiel.
• Angels not bound by the laws of god so they can swear on god’s name
• HWA was an apostle, but he fulfilled the role of Elijah the prophet. But he wasn’t a prophet. He was more.
• Talks about having five more years and doubling every five years. After that time, there’ll be 180 million visits a year. Wow! That’s a whole 3% of the world’s population! Now that’s making an impact.
• One of the spiritual gifts now exhibited by the RCG is speaking in tongues — the different languages Pack’s stuff is translated to.
• “Do you think you’ll go to world leaders,” and my answer is, “Apparently.” Ladies and gentlemen, I’ll go on the record here as saying that if Dave Pack meets with one world leader (U.S. congressmen don’t count), I’ll never say another word about the RCG.
• “We have to be prepared to say things to world leaders that are just not popular.” We? _We_? He must be joking.
• He basically says they could get rich selling the amazing development on their website — popup boxes and such. I have no idea how to do that.
• He expects to get one new “leader” a month for the next ten months, as well as five new staff members, and “hundreds more members.”
• There will be major announcements in the next ten months “as this work prophesies again.”
• “Get ready and fasten your seatbelts, because you are not going to want to miss what lies ahead.”

Yawn.

We've been wondering for some time just how "big" David Pack's little cult is. He wants everyone to believe that, because of growing website hits, his group is growing at a phenomenal rate and people are joining on a daily basis.

Unfortunately, Pack let some of his minions speak—and he posted their summaries on the website.

Called the “2006 Conference Sabbath Reports" and the "2006 Post-Conference Sabbath Reports," these six messages show just how dismal things are for the Restored Church of God, and the make clear just how heavily the RCG is relying on its website numbers to prove to itself that it is “doing a great work.”

The speakers were:

• Robert Farrell, covering the United Kingdom;
• John Sherwin, discussing Australia;
• Mark Sharpe, reporting on Jamaica;
• Larry McElroy, discussing the Western United States;
• Victor Cabrera, talking about the Spanish work;
• Michael Venish, covering Southern Africa; and
• Ernest Owino, reporting on East Africa.

Each and every report followed the same basic pattern. Pack must have told them, “Talk about your country and the perils its facing now, then finally spend the last two minutes discussing the Restored Church of God in your country, careful not to give any numbers.”

Most of them did as they were probably told. But Pack simply didn't think things through carefully enough, and didn't provide an extensive enough list of dos and don'ts for his guest speakers.

England -- Robert Farrell

Mr. Farrell was an odd speaker, because by his own admission he doesn't even live in Britain, though he might be moving there! His qualifications? He lived in Britain in the 1990's, and knows some of the members there.

Mr. Farrell spends most of his time discussing things that an educated American already knows about England. He laments the fact that there are some places in England where you can go and not find one person “of Israelite descent.”

He of course gives the standard “the country is going to hell in every way imaginable” speech, mentioning the horrid drought in the southeast and the incredible impact that's having on the economy.

Finally, after thirteen minutes of blather, we get to the details about “God's work in Britain.” The Work began in Britain in the 1950s, we're told, when Radio Luxembourg began transmitting the World Tomorrow radio program. At its zenith, the Work had some 3,000 members in Britain. But that's all changed since the apostasy, of course. “All the splinters are there,” and he names LCG, PCG, and “David Hume's group” -- this is a break in Pack's tradition of not spelling out which splinter he's talking about, even though it's obvious.

He goes on and on until, at 14:10, he finally begins talking about the RCG. The “RCG held its first feast in Britain in 2000, and since then, growth has been slow, but steady, and it's currently picking up.” What's the sign of this increased growth? More members? Of course not! There are simply “thousands of people who come to our website each month from Britain.”

Oh my! All those server hits from Britain.

In a surprise, though, he does give a demographic breakdown of the group. It's multinational. Nationalities represented include:

• British
• Polish
• Zimbabwe
• Bulgaria
• Italy
• Pakistan
• the Caribbean

He also discusses the fact that a lot of the members are older. I for one was _shocked_ to hear that.

And that's about it. Now we, like the membership, know absolutely nothing of any specific importance about the Work in Britain. Perhaps Mr. Sherwin from Australia will do better...

Australia -- John Sherwin

Mr. Sherwin takes a novel approach in his report, discussing first all of the tragedies besetting Australia, thus proving that God has removed his protection. Why, there have been cyclones and droughts! There's unemployment! Why, there are even immigration issues!

He too blathers on about this and than, finally spending the last two minutes talking about the Work in Australia. See, in Mr. Armstrong's time, the WCG in Australia had about 3.3% of the membership: about 5,000 out of 150,000. Now it has – well, quite frankly, we don't know, and neither probably does the RCG membership itself.

Mr. Sherwin does admit that “there has been little growth in membership.” However, things are looking up, because there has been “quite large growth in web site visits” from Australia.

Ah, well, that just puts everyone's mind at ease.

Jamaica -- Mark Sharpe

First, Mr. Sharpe explains to us where Jamaica is, which is good, because I was sure it was right next to Nauru. That established, Mr. Sharpe explains the importance of hurricanes, sugar, and bananas. Finally, rounding out the "It's a Small World" overview of Jamaica, we get to little fascinating trivia tibits. Did you know that Jamaica was the first tropical country to enter the Winter Olympics? And also, did you know that Jamaica is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the country having the most number of churches per square mile?

Well, that's it – no more proof for me. The RCG is the one.

Now, Mr. Sharpe does eventually discuss the Work in Jamaica. He explains that broadcasts were first heard in the 1950s and that by 1966, there were three baptized members in Jamaica. The first congregation with a minister started in the mid-1970s, and currently, there are three splinters there: Living, United, and the Church of the Great God.

What about the RCG? About all we hear about them is that, sadly, “most brethren are unemployed or poorly paid, or are pensioners.” That is sad, because it means they're probably suffering.

Finally, the first batch of reports ends back in the good ole U.S. of A.

Western U.S. -- Larry McElroy

Things are not going well in the splinters, Mr. McElroy explains. The people in the splinters are seeing their houses “are not in order.” Why? “What's happening is a dynamic, time released spiritual explosion causing fallout from the largest splinter group in the world.” And he repeats it because everyone laughs.

What does this have to do with his message? Nothing, really. I guess it was just a way to segue into the “explosion” the Work in the western States is experiencing.

It all started about a month ago, you see. In the Phoenix area, where Mr. McElroy lives, “a couple requested information about the SEP package” which is great, “because we'd been there about sixteen months and nothing had really happened.” Then the “sister of this couple” (We now know that the RCG's sexual purity laws aren't _quite_ as strict as we might have suspected.) called and wanted the information too, as well as a good anointing. Mr. McElroy went to anoint her, and because she still lives with her parents, he was able to talk to the whole family. They were just thrilled that they'd finally found “a place where the truth was still taught.” Not “the” place, but “a” place.

The next day, her brother called and admitted that he'd been reading the SEP info online! They had all the booklets shipped _overnight_ from Ohio so that they could lay them all out on a table by their piano. They went to their regular UCG service that week because there was a funeral, but since then, they've been going to the RCG. And while at the UCG, the matriarch of the family – who's also a deaconess – did a bit of proselytizing, and might end up getting another older lady (“who didn't have Internet access”) to join the Pack bandwagon.

But there’s more! A UCG deacon gave a split sermon about the Elijah, and “we know he got all the material from the website.” How do they know this? Spies? Rumors? Guessing? An awkward pause with some laughter, and he adds, “Because we know nobody else has got this stuff.” And this UCG deacon couldn't possibly have come up with the stuff himself, even with the WCG foundation he probably has.

In short, things are just exploding. He’s sent out 20 SEPs and possibly “50 to 60 people” have heard about the truth, thanks to this family!

Finally, at the end, he spills the secret: all these people are folks they've known, up to twenty-five years – had them in their home for dinner. In other words, _no new blood_! They're still drawing on those who are disillusioned with this or that splinter group and can't get their masochistic fix.

Spanish-speaking Countries -- Victor Cabrera

Mr. Cabrera was giving his first sermonette in English, and so it would be improper to do more than mention that in Mexico City there are the two biggest splinters: United and Living. There are not a lot of people in Restored yet. One reason is that they need more of the truth in Spanish. Let’s hope they don’t get it.

Southern Africa -- Michael Venish

Mr. Venish continues the pattern earlier reporters provided, starting his talk with a long history of South Africa. Finally, we learn a little about the Work in South Africa: Waterhouse set up a church in 1963 in southern Africa. And it was just wonderful – SEP camps, Spokesman's Clubs, and 400k PT subscribers.

And that’s it. What about the RCG? _They_ don’t even know.

East Africa -- Ernest Owino

We all know Mr. Owino from his famous defection from Meredith’s Living Church of God. Yet he doesn’t abuse his world star status by breaking the pattern set down by the previous speakers. He dutifully covers a little history of Kenya and the situation there: violence, poverty, death.

All the same, Mr. Owino’s report is, in many ways, the most interesting. He tells of a visit he had from Meredith after Owino had quite Living to go with Restored. He prepared for Meredith's visit by putting a pile of RCG literature on the desk by the front door.

"I just want to chat," Meredith reportedly said. "This has nothing to do with religion.”

But Mr. Owino wanted to talk about religion: "Why can't you do this kind of work?" he asked Meredith.

He breathed deeply and told me, "Ernest, we simply can't afford it." [...] I asked him, "Don't you have the millions of dollars, and very many members – thousands of them?" He said, "We simply can't understand how Mr. Pack and his team at headquarters is doing this work."

Meredith reportedly picked up _Anoint Your Eyes_ and said that they simply couldn't afford to produce even one book like that, and even if they couldn't they couldn't post it. "Now what do you make of that?" asked Mr. Owino.

Indeed, what _do_ you make of that? You can pop over to the LCG's site and see that they do have a few booklets that they print and send out. Surely, Mr. Owino wasn't exaggerting for the benefit of his listeners? To flatter them?

That would be wrong – that would be what the LCG is doing: “using Mr. Armstrong's name to flatter people.”

Good Hope Has Come

That’s the title Michael Venish gave to his report, but I think it might be applicable to the whole group of messages.

What hope?

We learn from these reports that the RCG is simply a joke. Their membership levels are stagnant in most places, and the only thing that is growing is the supposed hits on their pathetic little web site. The hope, though probably mistaken, is that the RCG will eventually implode.

At the very least, we have the security of know that their message is not making much of an impact on those who do not have a WCG background.

The trouble with the day before is that no one knows he's experiencing a "day before" until it becomes the day after.

Nineteen years ago it was a "day before" for about 100,000 people.

It was the day before the end of one man's world.

Tomorrow, life starts again for thousands, but they don't know it. Tomorrow, everything changes for the select few, but no one knows it. The changes are so sudden that it's only in sum that they make any sense, make any difference.