From the Private Blog

Until volume one of the new book is published, almost all new material is going up on http://truthhistory.blogspot.com/ ... The exceptions will be any articles that "Jerome" publishes to this blog, and the last chapter, when it is further along, will be published to this blog.

This allows newly interested readers to see material and hopefully stay interested until the book it out. We're trying to work around a busy schedule. School has started. I have six classes this year (to teach that is). Though one of our readers described Bruce as a retired teacher, he continues to teach though with a reduced class load. The district superintendent where he lives more or less shed tears at the thought of his retirement. [Insert giggle here.]

So we're both really busy at the moment. I'm working through near the last edits  on already finished chapters. At some point I'll need a fourth pair of eyes to read this. While that will probably be someone local to me, I may let a blog reader do that. As I edit and fact check I've found a few additional things to add. Usually that's just a sentence or two. Sometimes I write something longer.

One of our readers sent along some controversial booklets. One of them was on my list of "oh I really want this" stuff. I've read it three times and passed it and my notes on to Mr. Schulz. No reply from him yet, but he's on the sickish side (old age stuff mostly), and often slow to reply to emails like that. What I found won't change any thing. For volume one, it will add a sentence or two. We'll use more of it in volume 2 where we discuss Russell's deteriorating relationships with One Faith and Adventist groups.

Another, really silly controversialist booklet makes claims about the origins of Russell's theology. The writer's personality resembled a male donkey's (yes, I just more or less politely called him a rude name), but we'll use what he wrote on that subject. I makes a point that we made, but in (to me) an unsatisfying way.

We own one of the booklets sent to us, but I'm glad it's out there. It's very scarce. We quote from it. I know there are some things we cite or quote from that are very hard to find. I like it best when our readers can follow our research trail with relative ease. Some will disagree with us on some points. That's fine. I approach that on two levels. 1. We're writing this book;  you aren't. But if you can prove us wrong based on a post here, we'll examine your proof and maybe change something. 2. If you have a point of view difference, write your own book. (At least two, maybe three of you are. We look forward to seeing what you write.)

We've been saved from folly dozens of times by blog readers. But we require proof, not a mere assertion. There are many assertions in conversationalist and academic literature made about Russell and the Watch Tower. Many of them are myth, lacking any proof. You differ from us? Present your proof. Give us some indication that you know the subject matter. 

We still need someone in the New York City area to visit Columbia University and make some photocopies. We cannot pay your expenses. Our research fund is empty. Anything we buy (photocopies, original documents, etc) come out of household money right now.

We continue to need someone living in the Washington D.C. area to visit the Library of Congress on the same basis as above. There are two items there we need to see. One we can have microfilmed for about $350.00. We don't have the money, and, if we did, we have questions about the worth of the material. It requires an educated eye. (We'd help with that.) 

So ... for now, most things are on the public blog. Be sure to check it. Don't give up on the private blog. Just expect longish periods between posts.