Lack of interest in Maxwell conferences

[PrairieGirl]

I can't imagine Steve Maxwell and Geoffrey Botkin ever being pals--though locking them in a room together might prove entertaining. Botkin's snooty, pseudo-intellectual posturings and his Calvinism wouldn't go over well with Steve. Also the fact that, despite their pretentiousness and puffery, the Botkins are arguably more accomplished and (potentially) better able to function in the wider world would be huge strikes against them. And those Botkin girls! With their sensuous bed-headed hairstyles, and their penchant for Disney films, and their competence as writers, and that they are allowed to read widely (for fundies at least) and for pleasure!

No, no. The Botkins are despicably worldly, and wholly unfit for the Maxwells to associate with. :lol:

I would love to put Stevehovah and the Fake Duck Biologist in a room together alone. The clash of egos would rival that of an atom bomb.

[salex]

I just don't understand this. Don't get me wrong, I'm not disbelieving you, but Stevehovah lived (more or less) in the real world for the first forty-odd years of his life. He's been exposed to good writing - and bad - and yet he STILL believes Sarah can write well? The cognitive dissonance is astounding.

My husband started out in engineering, which I believe was Steve's profession before he became a family cult leader. later, we both worked with a lot of engineers and programmers. I can tell you that in that number, there were many who could not have picked out good writing if someone had highlighted it for them and handed it to them. This is not true of all of them, but I remember one engineer explaining to me that while people try to see symbolism in literature, there really isn't any, ever. It is, apparently just some made up thing. :shifty-kitty:

I suspect Steve's upset when people mentioned spelling or grammar errors in the Amazon comments was because to some engineers and some people and apparently to the Maxwells, that is the only thing that defines writing well.

[lawlifelgbt]

They really are stunted. As to writing and speaking skills, there's this interesting thing.

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis states that the language one uses actually shapes one's thinking and worldview- e.g. using "enhanced interrogation techniques" instead of torture. I think, by so heavily restricting access to books and the outside world, Steve is using that hypothesis to shape the way the entire family thinks.

However, he probably doesn't even know about it!

[nausicaa]

My husband started out in engineering, which I believe was Steve's profession before he became a family cult leader. later, we both worked with a lot of engineers and programmers. I can tell you that in that number, there were many who could not have picked out good writing if someone had highlighted it for them and handed it to them. This is not true of all of them, but I remember one engineer explaining to me that while people try to see symbolism in literature, there really isn't any, ever. It is, apparently just some made up thing. :shifty-kitty:

I suspect Steve's upset when people mentioned spelling or grammar errors in the Amazon comments was because to some engineers and some people and apparently to the Maxwells, that is the only thing that defines writing well.

As someone who works as an editor cleaning up the writing of various engineers and scientists all day, I wholeheartedly support the above statement.

[16strong]

My husband started out in engineering, which I believe was Steve's profession before he became a family cult leader. later, we both worked with a lot of engineers and programmers. I can tell you that in that number, there were many who could not have picked out good writing if someone had highlighted it for them and handed it to them. This is not true of all of them, but I remember one engineer explaining to me that while people try to see symbolism in literature, there really isn't any, ever. It is, apparently just some made up thing. :shifty-kitty:

I suspect Steve's upset when people mentioned spelling or grammar errors in the Amazon comments was because to some engineers and some people and apparently to the Maxwells, that is the only thing that defines writing well.

Sarah clearly never learned about the story arc, or learned how to properly organize ideas. I would be surprised if Teri ever made her write a genuine research essay. It's not an easy skill, and it takes lots of work and practice.

In fact, writing anything at all requires a large amount of intuition and self-examination. The Maxwells are far too literal for that sort of thing, and the day they examine themselves is the day the planet of the apes rises.

What Sarah needs to become a good writer, she cannot have. The grammatical and spelling errors, as well as the problems with plot and arc will continue until the cows come come. Sorry Steve, but it's just the truth.

[nelliebelle1197]

Has Steve ever mentioned respecting another Christian who might be able to give him constructive criticism? He sets himself up as the only true prophet as far as I can see. The only person I remember him consulting about anything is Teri's father.

We are fairly sure he is on the outs with Pearl. Phillips is way too worldly. Was he pals with Botkin at any point? Botkin is probably pretentious enough for Stevo. We know he talks to Jim Bob Duggar, but I really can't imagine Steve listening to him. Especially now!

I'm stumped.

Papa Buckingham, possibly. But I am not sure he is any better than Steve, despite the fact that he rescued the Hale kids/childults. The Buckingham move to Alaska with 753 childults was a move to isolate them, just like Papa Pilgrim, but without the homicide, mental illness, incest and brutal poverty. He is not much different than Steve in that regard, except Steve is too much of a middle class suburbanite to literally homestead. He has built his compound in the burbs the way the BuckHale families did in Alaska for many of the same reasons.

[16strong]

Papa Buckingham, possibly. But I am not sure he is any better than Steve, despite the fact that he rescued the Hale kids/childults. The Buckingham move to Alaska with 753 childults was a move to isolate them, just like Papa Pilgrim, but without the homicide, mental illness, incest and brutal poverty. He is not much different than Steve in that regard, except Steve is too much of a middle class suburbanite to literally homestead. He has built his compound in the burbs the way the BuckHale families did in Alaska for many of the same reasons.

Steve is too much of a narcissist to isolate himself completely like that. He has to be able to walk down the street and point out every heathen along the path, telling them (and his kids) how sinful they are. The more heathens around, the more superior he can feel. He also needs the appreciation of the fundie community, hence the cross-country seminars. Reaching a wide audience is his way of feeling important. Isolation would cut off his access to fundie admiration.

[alba]

My husband started out in engineering, which I believe was Steve's profession before he became a family cult leader. later, we both worked with a lot of engineers and programmers. I can tell you that in that number, there were many who could not have picked out good writing if someone had highlighted it for them and handed it to them. This is not true of all of them, but I remember one engineer explaining to me that while people try to see symbolism in literature, there really isn't any, ever. It is, apparently just some made up thing. :shifty-kitty:

I suspect Steve's upset when people mentioned spelling or grammar errors in the Amazon comments was because to some engineers and some people and apparently to the Maxwells, that is the only thing that defines writing well.

You know, now you've compared Steve to a programmer it makes perfect sense :lol: Obviously I should have made the connection between engineering and programming but, well, I didn't, probably because I think of engineers as scientists and I don't think of myself as a scientist (even though I work in a STEM field).

I work in software development and, while this isn't true of all my colleagues, a lot of the emails I get (even the professional ones sent out to the entire department) are of questionable grammar. We had a variable in our code with a typo in it for MONTHS; when I noticed it I did an immediate Find/Replace because it bothered me so much, but everyone else had just been copy-pasting or retyping the misspelling!

[Brightonbelle]

This reminds me of Newspeak from George Orwell's 1984: restrict vocabulary to an increasingly-shortened list of approved words to make critical thinking extremely difficult to do.

Steve is double plus ungood!

The 1984 analogy fits in perfectly with Mary's 'but I love my daddy'.

We love Big Brother.

[VodouDoll]

Holy fuck, no, just no. Please tell me this is a joke. I literally cannot even.

Naturalism? By what standards? Sarah writes like a child and her dialogue is only natural if you can think of the terrifying possibility that this is how she and her siblings actually speak.

It's true, but I can't find the post where he said it. It was one of the ones where they talked about her writing in Uriah, maybe?

[Jana814]

He did.

He made sure,come hell or high water or a wife who couldn't cope, that those kids weren't going to be educated to be able to think for themselves.

Agree!

[blessalessi]

Come on Maxwells, we're waiting on your big announcement about the Fall Tour!!! :D

[halcionne]

Come on Maxwells, we're waiting on your big announcement about the Fall Tour!!! :D

Crickets Cicadas. That's what we get--literally--from the blog today. :lol:

[twin2]

Crickets Cicadas. That's what we get--literally--from the blog today. :lol:

Just so you don’t think your speakers have a problem, this one does not have music.

Gee thanks Sarah, never would have been able to figure that out on my own. :roll:

[blessalessi]

I had to ask google what the hell Sarah was on about. The cicadas LAUNCHED.... made me think they were a new product rather than an insect I had not heard of before today. :lol:

[halcionne]

Gee thanks Sarah, never would have been able to figure that out on my own. :roll:

Poor thing. I wonder if she has to over explain everything all the time because her domineering father demands to know what goes on inside her head at all times. I hope I'm projecting, because I do stupid shit like this and I think that's why.

[sparkles]

The time lapse of the cicada is probably the most interesting post ever on Titus 2. Mainly because something actually happens. And the cicada didn't even have to pray about it.

[Free2BeMe]

The same people who demo their lack of normal conversational skills in their terse responses to friendly blog comments.

The same people who think a subset of good conversation is a grown man approaching unaccompanied children at a county fair with offers of balloons animals, tracts and the news that as it stands now, the children are going to Hell when they die.

I wonder how sales are, on "Making Good Conversationalists." If word of mouth publicity counts (pardon the semi-pun), I'd guess "not well."

If I had children and someone did that to them, that motherfucker would be black and blue and missing some teeth.

[Odd1Out]

Poor thing. I wonder if she has to over explain everything all the time because her domineering father demands to know what goes on inside her head at all times. I hope I'm projecting, because I do stupid shit like this and I think that's why.

I think you're probably right.

[SPHASH]

Silence is better than that Channels Only caterwauling Joe did for Elissa.

[church_of_dog]

I think you're probably right.

It's definitely annoying when someone over-explains, but at the same time it's also really annoying when someone doesn't pay attention to context and leaves out relevant information, causing misunderstanding and/or confusion.

Personally I think of it as an indicator of maturity to be able to strike the right balance between those two. I know grown adults who can't seem to get it right. (hmm, are those two sentences contradictory then? :shifty: )

My reaction to those who over- or under-explain everything has been to interpret it as discourteous, because to me it seems that if one recognizes it as worthy of paying attention to, most of the time where to draw that line is pretty clear. So it feels passive aggressive when someone doesn't do it and then plays innocent about why they aren't understood or why the oversharing is annoying.

But maybe I just have unrealistic expectations about people.

ETA: in spite of my aversion to oversharing, my posts are nearly always a lot longer than I intend them to be. :doh:

[FundieFarmer]

Steve doesn't care what this likes of us think about his kids ability to write or converse. Every opinion from a naysayer is an attack from satan and just proves to him how right he is. Now if his leghumpers or another Christian he respects were to voice the opinion that Sarah (or any of the others) could use some help in the writing (or any other) department, he MIGHT listen. But then again, I doubt there IS another Christian that Steve respects and I'm sure a leghumper would never dare criticize.

It's probably a good thing that the offspring are sheltered from the outside, at least where arts and humanities are concerned. They might be hella pissed at finding out just how much they've been hobbled by their overlord.

So...what happens when Steve dies? I am not wishing ill on him, whatsoever, just Pandora's box-wondering what will happen when he's gone, and there's less hold by Stevehovah.

[Elegant Mess]

So...what happens when Steve dies? I am not wishing ill on him, whatsoever, just Pandora's box-wondering what will happen when he's gone, and there's less hold by Stevehovah.

If the Maxwells are anything like the Jeffs family of FLDS notoriety, when the patriarch dies, one of the older sons will likely fill in the power vacuum left behind. The likely candidates are Nathan or Christopher. Of the two, I see Christopher as the more likely of the two to keep doing things exactly Steve's way, in which case things will be as they've always been.

In the more immediate future, I wonder what will happen to the unmarried Maxwells if their conference tours completely dry up. I know we've speculated repeatedly on the futures of Anna and Mary, but would lack of touring also put John and/or Jesse in a tough spot when it comes to finding their helpmeets? Would they do well enough with their other business ventures to be able to buy houses debt-free? :think:

[SPHASH]

According to Steve's Seriously e-mail they are having a ITonRamp.com Business Jump Start class beginning Sept 30 for five weeks. I guess that answers the question about fall conferences.

[anjulibai]

According to Steve's Seriously e-mail they are having a ITonRamp.com Business Jump Start class beginning Sept 30 for five weeks. I guess that answers the question about fall conferences.

To be fair, they easily do that from the road.