ITonRamp Exciting, Valuable new course: Quickbooks!

[YPestis]

I've always suspected Stevie got a settlement from Boeing over the harrassment issue (where he was forced to go to lunch with a female vendor or that he refused to based on his principles or something to that effect). That was when God "brought him home" from the ebil corporate world. Having worked for the company and having a good friend who worked in legal there, it happens all. the. time. The largest number of law suits that company deals with are disgruntled employees and they end up settling out of court because it's cheaper overall.

Steve "came home"　back in 1997. I'm skeptical there was any settlement money, but even if there were, it would have long run out, frugal or not. In their previous writings, the Maxwells did not mention any lawsuit, only that Steve was asked to leave after he refused to do something that went against his principle. In an earlier Corner's, he did mention times when money was tight and I'm not getting any whiffs that there was a time when he received a windfall. Again, even if Boeing settled, I doubt it was enough to set him up for life.

There have been speculation before about how they can live as they do despite their business practice. I think the key here is they HAD a good product and business was pretty good long while. Their "Managers of the Home" book was a big seller. They were at the vanguard of the fundie homeschooling movement and start publishing right when that movement really took off. Also, Steve was running (as far as I can tell) a real IT business with his sons. I think he initially did ok with his IT thing but when the titus2 thing took off, he decided to quit to work fulltime in his "ministry". I don't think Steve is stupid with money. Like any good businessmen, he probably socked away some money when business was good to live on when business falters. I have relatives who run small businesses. You'd be surprised how lucrative a successful business can be....and how much that success can tie you over when business is slow.

I also think the Maxwells have few "large" expenses. For example, their mortgage is paid for, and their "new" home was built by themselves, which saved a lot of money. So, we see this nice, expensive looking home, but it's properly half the price you would expect because they bought it cheap and renovated it themselves. Moreover, they live in a cheap area of the country, which enables them to have a larger home. The family don't do college, or childcare, no mortgage and possibly no "real" health insurance (Samaritan scam?). Several major expenses just went out the window. Even with half the disposable income of the "average" household of their size, that's a lot of iphones you could buy.

Also, we have to remember that the Maxwell "children" are mostly adults now, except for Mary. That means they are working for the family business. Even if each Maxwell child brings in a measly $15k, that's not bad when room and board is free. That's plenty of money for electronics and clothes.

Their expensive electronic purchases would be deceiving too. Remember that the older boys still do IT work for various small businesses. That usually means having to use top of the line electronics which can be tax deducted as business expenses. If they had to replace with new hardware regularly, that's pretty nice stuff going to the rest of the Maxwell kids.

As stated by others, there's no money going towards entertainment (movies, cable, books). They don't do "fun" so most vacations are out (except for a trip to CO). They don't eat out as a rule (unless paid for by their host). In fact, they seem to avoid any outside activities that isn't related to their family business.

I get the feeling the Maxwells are savers as a rule (their debt-free lifestyle). You'd be surprised how much money you can save if you strike the big stuff out (mortgage, college, childcare) and live frugally. In China, most people are also on the debt-free path. I'm always surprised at families that make modest incomes that can still afford an occasional big purchase. I think that's what the Maxwells do. They don't spend thousands at a time, but they will splurge on occasion. It gives the appearance of wealth but they probably spend most days shopping for basic items, and only get the big ticket items periodically.

As for their businesses. Again, they were at one point doing ok. I think business is drying up, but that doesn't mean they are left homeless immediately. Only time will tell how they're really doing. Besides, the Maxwells are total control freaks. Every click of that camera is carefully coordinated, every image carefully spliced. I doubt Steve will allow any image of "poor" show up on their blog. If the Maxwell business do implode, we may never see it. The blog may simply close and then we will just have to imagine what happens next......

[kpmom]

I agree with YPestis. The Maxwells don't have the major expenses other families do.

Also, don't forget their other books. They might make more off of them than we realize

And they do one big homeschool conference a year. One of our FJers mentioned her sister can make several thousands on just one of those conferences.

It's also possible Steve had a 401k through work and a non working spouse can have a IRA account. And at 62 years old Steve can apply for social security early benefits if he chooses.

I don't think they are wealthy, but I think they're ok financially.

[SPHASH]

Then and only then will Steve start marrying of his daughters.

[MamaJunebug]

Fwiw, Steve's last employer in the big bad corporate world was not Boeing, but a smaller engineering firm based in Kansas City which, post-Steve, was eventually acquired by a European firm. He waged a year-long fight with the firm over his bleedin' principles. I can tell you how much something like that affects workplace morale and productivity (a lot, and not in a positive direction). Real godly way to treat your employer and co-workers, Dick!

I'll never forget the story of the toothless woman who had a foot-high stack of Maxmedia to buy at one conference. Priorities, I guess.

[YPestis]

Fwiw, Steve's last employer in the big bad corporate world was not Boeing, but a smaller engineering firm based in Kansas City which, post-Steve, was eventually acquired by a European firm. He waged a year-long fight with the firm over his bleedin' principles. I can tell you how much something like that affects workplace morale and productivity (a lot, and not in a positive direction). Real godly way to treat your employer and co-workers, Dick!

I have never heard this. Teri's writings only mentioned he worked for Boeing and I thought she mentioned he was "asked to leave" due to principles after which he "came home". I guess everyone just assumed it was Boeing, but perhaps not. It sheds some light on Steve's drive towards fundie-dom. Perhaps he started having a need to have more control over everyone, utilizing religion as his tool of choice, and when his controlling nature started interfering with his work, he turned it towards his home life. I always imagine this is how people become religious extremist. Something's gone wrong in their world and they turn to something else to anchor their sense of loss. For some, it becomes religion and they slowly turn it outwards towards coworkers and families. I guess the family borne the burnt of his fanaticism after he "came home". How sad.

[WonderingInWA]

Fwiw, Steve's last employer in the big bad corporate world was not Boeing, but a smaller engineering firm based in Kansas City which, post-Steve, was eventually acquired by a European firm. He waged a year-long fight with the firm over his bleedin' principles. I can tell you how much something like that affects workplace morale and productivity (a lot, and not in a positive direction). Real godly way to treat your employer and co-workers, Dick!

I'll never forget the story of the toothless woman who had a foot-high stack of Maxmedia to buy at one conference. Priorities, I guess.

I'd never heard this part before, either (and I pride myself on being a Maxwell expert!). Thanks for the insight, MJB!

[Jessica]

That's just sad. How on earth can they justify taking so much money from people to teach them something so simple. :( It's just wrong......

The same way they can justify charging you $25 for Managers of Their Homes, which is: "Schedule your day into 15 minute periods. Assign one color for each child. Put it all up on your wall and there is your Master Schedule." Like I couldn't figure that out by looking at the cover of the book!

[sparkles]

web.archive.org/web/19991013044542/http://titus2.com/Corners/frame1.htm

In which Stevie 'splains it all. Or not. Because in typical Maxwell fashion, there are no specifics, just vague hints. I think the general FJ consensus though--based on other writings--is that Steve no longer wanted to interact with women on the job, in any fashion. So god laid it on his heart to come home. Convenient, that.

[uber frau]

The Maxwell corners (and blog in general) have been subtlety and not so subtlety sanitised over the years. If you're interested in all things Maxwell, it's worth a poke around what's been preserved by the Wayback Machine.

[Palimpsest]

The Maxwell corners (and blog in general) have been subtlety and not so subtlety sanitised over the years. If you're interested in all things Maxwell, it's worth a poke around what's been preserved by the Wayback Machine.

Indeed! This recommendation is brilliant. Yep, the Maxwells sanitize.

[nokidsmom]

web.archive.org/web/19991013044542/http://titus2.com/Corners/frame1.htm

In which Stevie 'splains it all. Or not. Because in typical Maxwell fashion, there are no specifics, just vague hints. I think the general FJ consensus though--based on other writings--is that Steve no longer wanted to interact with women on the job, in any fashion. So god laid it on his heart to come home. Convenient, that.

This is what I think. There wasn't any harassment on his part but I always suspected he decided that he couldn't interact with other women on the job, in a any capacity be it boss, coworker, customer or vendor representative. The supposedly year long process of "coming home" was probably his employer either trying to accommodate him or putting him through the established disciplinary process before letting him go. He probably got a severance package but in exchange had to sign an agreement promising not to sue. I worked for a large corporation that had similar situations going on with employees; it was a long process, under legal review, but the employee didn't make out like a bandit on severance. So I can see that the Maxwells aren't exactly rich.

[holierthanyou]

Ladies, I will now be offering a course to learn the difference between posting a reply and submitting a quick reply on freejinger. The course costs $700, will require a two hour time committment each night for six weeks, plus you will need to schedule an extra two hours each day for private time reflecting on the lessons in your prayer closet each morning. The total cost is $900 if you want me to pray for you as well.

This is a real deal, so act fast. For anyone wondering about a payment plan, here it is: friggin pay me all at once, you jezebels.

[kpmom]

Ladies, I will now be offering a course to learn the difference between posting a reply and submitting a quick reply on freejinger. The course costs $700, will require a two hour time committment each night for six weeks, plus you will need to schedule an extra two hours each day for private time reflecting on the lessons in your prayer closet each morning. The total cost is $900 if you want me to pray for you as well.

This is a real deal, so act fast. For anyone wondering about a payment plan, here it is: friggin pay me all at once, you jezebels.

Can I expect a mentoring phone call every week? Will these classes include any information about evolution? Do you know where you will go when you die?

[holierthanyou]

Can I expect a mentoring phone call every week? Will these classes include any information about evolution? Do you know where you will go when you die?

Well I know where YOU will go when you die, given your insubordination in questioning your leader already! :naughty:

In regards to evolution, I am too godly to even know what that is. You need to repent.

I am giving you an awful lot of good advice here already. Send me $40 now.

[uber frau]

Can it be guaranteed there will be no defrauding, that female participants will gave their own 'mentor' (as opposed to tutor) and that all Skype contact will only be between people if the same gender*?

*Yes, I know 'sex' is the proper term here but fundies wouldn't ever use such a vulgar word. Besides, in fundydom the two words are completely interchangable since god would never put anything else than a manly male brain in a body with XY chromosomes (and vice versa).

[ThatSnark]

Ladies, I will now be offering a course to learn the difference between posting a reply and submitting a quick reply on freejinger. The course costs $700, will require a two hour time committment each night for six weeks, plus you will need to schedule an extra two hours each day for private time reflecting on the lessons in your prayer closet each morning. The total cost is $900 if you want me to pray for you as well.

This is a real deal, so act fast. For anyone wondering about a payment plan, here it is: friggin pay me all at once, you jezebels.

Bless you for undertaking the LORD's work, holierthanyou. I will pray with my headship and see if the LORD lays it on our hearts to take this course.

[holierthanyou]

Can it be guaranteed there will be no defrauding, that female participants will gave their own 'mentor' (as opposed to tutor) and that all Skype contact will only be between people if the same gender*?

*Yes, I know 'sex' is the proper term here but fundies wouldn't ever use such a vulgar word. Besides, in fundydom the two words are completely interchangable since god would never put anything else than a manly male brain in a body with XY chromosomes (and vice versa).

You have been banned for vulgarity. Send $32.95 for cost of my time to ban you from the yet-to-be-started course.

[WonderingInWA]

Is there a dress code? And please send me your address so I can pay you the $25 you just earned for reading my question. God Bless! :)

[SPHASH]

This is what I think. There wasn't any harassment on his part but I always suspected he decided that he couldn't interact with other women on the job, in a any capacity be it boss, coworker, customer or vendor representative. The supposedly year long process of "coming home" was probably his employer either trying to accommodate him or putting him through the established disciplinary process before letting him go. He probably got a severance package but in exchange had to sign an agreement promising not to sue. I worked for a large corporation that had similar situations going on with employees; it was a long process, under legal review, but the employee didn't make out like a bandit on severance. So I can see that the Maxwells aren't exactly rich.

I worked at a resort in the Black Hills while in college and had a coworker that was a retired Pentecostal minister who refused to take direction from me or the co-manager who was a woman. Turns out that his beliefs wouldn't allow him to be a subordinate to women. Even asking him to mop the floor was a no no. He was told to shape up or ship out. He chose the latter.

[MamaJunebug]

Watched the "about" video. My, my, Nathan has a fey way of talking, doesn't he?

I'm insinuating nothing, just find his prissy voice to match his church-lady attitude.

How much worldliness can a person get, participating in a library- or community college-sponsored IT training session as opposed to OneTonRamp?

Sad to contemplate that there are folks out there who watch his smug self and start putting cash away toward full payment up front. smh

ETA that it's interesting how, after the dissolves, Natey starts out with a big smile on his face (the patented Happy Maxwell Smile) that immediately goes away as he scolds us against thinking about any other IT trainer talks about the benefits of OneTon.

[Sailing on Europa]

Ladies, I will now be offering a course to learn the difference between posting a reply and submitting a quick reply on freejinger. The course costs $700, will require a two hour time committment each night for six weeks, plus you will need to schedule an extra two hours each day for private time reflecting on the lessons in your prayer closet each morning. The total cost is $900 if you want me to pray for you as well.

This is a real deal, so act fast. For anyone wondering about a payment plan, here it is: friggin pay me all at once, you jezebels.

Can my husband and I sign up for the course together even though this is not my first marriage?

[nokidsmom]

I worked at a resort in the Black Hills while in college and had a coworker that was a retired Pentecostal minister who refused to take direction from me or the co-manager who was a woman. Turns out that his beliefs wouldn't allow him to be a subordinate to women. Even asking him to mop the floor was a no no. He was told to shape up or ship out. He chose the latter.

Well, I went back and reread some of Steve's crazy on how he was brought home. Interesting that he says he was given a choice between another job and a layoff so they were trying to accomodate him. Also interesting his dismay at being given the choice instead of just being laid off which was supposed to be God making it clear to him what he should do. I can only imagine the crazy the company's HR and legal personnel had to deal with from him. And because his objections were religious based, they probably took a lot more pains to work with him in order to avoid a discrimination lawsuit; had he simply refused for other reasons or none, he probably would have been canned no questions asked. In spite of his expressed dismay on the blog, I suspect he knew exactly what he was doing.

ETA: oy, the crazy that is posted on the wayback machine. Stuff about the Pearls, sheltering, about his dad, and absolutely no fun or pleasure at all. I don't know how any of the kids and Teri can live like that.

[gustava]

Can my husband and I sign up for the course together even though this is not my first marriage?

Only if you wear a modest wedding dress during all class sessions.

[WonderingInWA]

Only if you wear a modest wedding dress during all class sessions.

And before you ask, no there is no dress code for the men, so tell your husband he is free to wear nothing but his leopard print speedo if God puts it on his heart.

[ThatSnark]

Holierthanyou, I have to ask: who will be teaching the men? We know because Stevehovah tells us so that women are not to have dominion over men, not to teach or admonish or lead them. Will your headship be taking the men while you minister to the women?