#Big Sandy 2016

[uber frau]

Is it just me,or does that group shot look like the turnout wasn't actually very big (especially compared to, say,a decade ago.)

Also, where has the uniform for the ATI kids gone? Those kids look almost casual. 

[EyeQueue]

1 hour ago, artdecades said:

 

 

Come on eagle eyed fjers, lets see who can be identified

What would happen if a woman were to wear pants to this shindig? Are there any ATIers at all who wear teh ebil pants? I see only long skirts here.

[elliha]

2 hours ago, Thorns said:

Oh my, and in a library none the less!

The dangers of worldly litterature? Or dare I say it...the dangers of pitching your trouser tent in search of ungodly satisfaction? 

This type of "tent pitching" was exactly what I thought of. "O no, I found out my son has been pitching his tent against Sodom for 4 long years".

[TShirtsLongSkirts]

They cannot be so ignorant to what "pitching your tent" means, can they?

The rest of the schedule is fairly snark-worthy, too. Some of them sound like click-bait articles. "8 Reasons why Pastors Lose Their Families (Number 5 Will Shock You!!)"

[DutchMommy]

On ‎20‎-‎4‎-‎2016 at 2:05 PM, HereticHick said:

Do my old eyes decieve me, or is the road at the top of the campground "Smug Oak Lane"?

I think you're right.

Talk about a weird name. And now I'm wondering what a smug oak looks like...

[guitar_villain]

On 4/19/2016 at 9:31 AM, Granwych said:

Maybe the mower man speaks in tones audible to only those with a penis?  (Like a whistle to a dog?)

At the risk of blowing our cover, this is true.  Guys are able to speak in a bass register that normal human females cannot hear.  It's our primary way to talk about sports, beer and boobs.

[19 cats and counting]

It is almost like they're immune to anything that may appear immodest for males.  Between this and those defrauding pics of Nathan.

[Palimpsest]

7 hours ago, artdecades said:

 

 

Come on eagle eyed fjers, lets see who can be identified

 

6 hours ago, uber frau said:

Is it just me,or does that group shot look like the turnout wasn't actually very big (especially compared to, say,a decade ago.)

Also, where has the uniform for the ATI kids gone? Those kids look almost casual. 

 

That looks like half the number they had last year and in 2014.  They used to be crammed in cheek by jowl and fill the space.  Now they are in 3 columns and there is a lot of space in front of them.

I can see plenty of shirts and ties still.  On the skirts - not all IBLP/ATI folk are skirts only but they probably leave the pants at home for Big Sandy.  The skirts do seem to be getting shorter.

[formergothardite]

Looks like a lot of empty seats to the sides. Back in the 90's there was a dress code of no pants on girls/women while attending the conferences. Not sure what the rules are now.

I'm not finding a lot of pictures this year. If UP does film this, I wonder how they will twist it to make it look like an innocent homeschool conference instead of a yearly cult meeting. 

 

 

[16strong]

Yeah. It doesn't look like a very big turnout. It looks like everyone is strategically placed to make the turnout look bigger than it actually Is. GOOD. Hopefully next year it is even smaller.

[HereticHick]

44 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

Looks like a lot of empty seats to the sides. Back in the 90's there was a dress code of no pants on girls/women while attending the conferences. Not sure what the rules are now.

I'm not finding a lot of pictures this year. If UP does film this, I wonder how they will twist it to make it look like an innocent homeschool conference instead of a yearly cult meeting. 

 

 

Jean Skirts? Check. Long Gothardy hair? Check?  Godly under-tshirts? Check. [Maiden on the left has 2 for extra Jesus points]

I'm assuming there are flip-flops to complete the picture.

[formergothardite]

This is what the boys get to do at this conference.

This is from 2014, it sounds like babies are brought into the conference now.  Alert is creepy. 

 

[19 cats and counting]

I fell down the rabbit hole of their IG.  Looks like (last year) there was one in Minnesota and Nashville.  Perhpas having more than one spreads out the crowds.

[PennySycamore]

@formergothardite, I see a lot of bad posture in  the first clip.  Marines, they ain't!  Even my high school band director wouldn't have put up with such slouching.

[DaisyD]

2 hours ago, guitar_villain said:

At the risk of blowing our cover, this is true.  Guys are able to speak in a bass register that normal human females cannot hear.  It's our primary way to talk about sports, beer and boobs.

Mr. D uses this voice in public all the time. Since I have sonar hearing he also uses it to say things to me that he doesn't want the kids to hear.

[JMO]

1 hour ago, formergothardite said:

Looks like a lot of empty seats to the sides. Back in the 90's there was a dress code of no pants on girls/women while attending the conferences. Not sure what the rules are now.

I'm not finding a lot of pictures this year. If UP does film this, I wonder how they will twist it to make it look like an innocent homeschool conference instead of a yearly cult meeting. 

 

 

This looks like a cheesy ad for clothing.  And do I want to know what is sold at the "Alert store"?  Pseudo military clothing and supplies? 

[formergothardite]

14 minutes ago, JMO said:

And do I want to know what is sold at the "Alert store"?  Pseudo military clothing and supplies? 

Pretty much.

http://www.thealertstore.com/ALERT_Uniforms

You can also buy some books that sound boring:

http://www.thealertstore.com/Books

Alert music:

http://www.thealertstore.com/Good-Christian-Men-Rejoice-Cd

And they are still selling the Voeller sisters' stuff. Their dad is the ATI leader who abandoned the family to run off with his super young secretary. I think I still have one of their original cookbooks, but I'm not sure. 

http://www.thealertstore.com/From-The-Kitchen-Of-Two-Sisters-3-Dvd-Set

[Coconut Flan]

There is irony there.  They sell The Abundant Single Life marketed to women.

[slickcat79]

2 hours ago, formergothardite said:

I'm not finding a lot of pictures this year. If UP does film this, I wonder how they will twist it to make it look like an innocent homeschool conference instead of a yearly cult meeting. 

I'm sure it'll be much the way they did it for the Duggars. ROAD TRIP!! Check out how we pack! Wide-angle shots of large groups in auditoriums. Watch how Gil and KellyJo greet old friends. Look at cute little kids play innocuous games. 

They'll just skip all of the content and avoid talking to other attendees unless they can be proven TV-friendly.

[HereticHick]

2 hours ago, PennySycamore said:

@formergothardite, I see a lot of bad posture in  the first clip.  Marines, they ain't!  Even my high school band director wouldn't have put up with such slouching.

My Thoughts exactly!

[19 cats and counting]

1 hour ago, slickcat79 said:

I'm sure it'll be much the way they did it for the Duggars. ROAD TRIP!! Check out how we pack! Wide-angle shots of large groups in auditoriums. Watch how Gil and KellyJo greet old friends. Look at cute little kids play innocuous games. 

They'll just skip all of the content and avoid talking to other attendees unless they can be proven TV-friendly.

Wasn't that the focus of one of the early Duggar shows?  IIRC it was portrayed as a road trip where they get to mingle with other megafamilies.

Too bad the cameras didn't capture Josh and Anna's initial meeting.  Would have made for more interesting TV>

[formergothardite]

The first Duggar special did show them going to Knoxville complete with big signs on the vans announcing that they were ATI members. TLC interviewed a couple of ATI families and showed that for this event the Duggars weren't considered odd and that lots of other families had huge number of kids. 

But all that took place before RG and before tons of info was available to show that ATI is a dangerous cult. If UP shows anything that lets viewers know about IBLP/ATI, this time a google search will quickly show all the scandals, abuse, cult like teachings and how Gil is involved in an  abuse cover up lawsuit. 

[BullyJBG]

2 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

The first Duggar special did show them going to Knoxville complete with big signs on the vans announcing that they were ATI members. TLC interviewed a couple of ATI families and showed that for this event the Duggars weren't considered odd and that lots of other families had huge number of kids. 

But all that took place before RG and before tons of info was available to show that ATI is a dangerous cult. If UP shows anything that lets viewers know about IBLP/ATI, this time a google search will quickly show all the scandals, abuse, cult like teachings and how Gil is involved in an  abuse cover up lawsuit. 

Exactly. I wouldn't be surprised if TLC has some coverage of their attempts to interview Gothard himself. I do wonder how UP would cover it. I'm suspecting that the ATI staff won't let the film crew on the premises, so they may be showing select families fellowshipping with the Bates' at neighboring campgrounds, but who's gonna agree to be filmed? I have a feeling that because of the lawsuit, a lot of stuff is hush-hush. They may be using this as a way to relate to persecuted Christians in certain countries who have underground churches.

[Elegant Mess]

6 hours ago, formergothardite said:

Looks like a lot of empty seats to the sides. Back in the 90's there was a dress code of no pants on girls/women while attending the conferences. Not sure what the rules are now.

I'm not finding a lot of pictures this year. If UP does film this, I wonder how they will twist it to make it look like an innocent homeschool conference instead of a yearly cult meeting. 

 

 

This photo!  It's just *begging* for a caption-the-photo contest!

[bertnee]

On 4/20/2016 at 10:47 PM, Grimalkin said:

The doctor looks like Mr. Feeny. I don't think Feeny would put up with interruptions from prematurely balding Jesus, either.