Tomorrow (Thurs) on PBS there's a Frontline called "The Jesus Factor". It's about Bush. - (NT)

... is not necessarily a bad thing. When I first rented my condo it was to a man who worked blue collar (pump maintenance/retrofitting) temp work and made out VERY well doing so. My sister worked full time in fairly high level management for a software company for over a decade before being laid off. It hasn't been all fun and games finding contract work, and the travel did become a PITA after a while, but her pay has been more than sufficient to compensate for the loss of benefits even if she had to purchase that individually (they pay extra for coverage through her hubby). In addition, the concept of whatever vacation time you have at a "regular" full time job goes out the window. Carefully planned, you can take longer vacations between jobs. Many staffing companies now offer bennies to their temp/contract employees based on how much work is contracted through them (including paid vacations). There's a lot of that type of work availabie in the field I used to work in and I've often thought of pursuing that. It would sidestep some of the things I disliked about that work -- same-old projects, same-old people, same-old routine. One of the things I enjoy most about teaching part time as I do is that I have a new group of students and schedule each semester. Rut is never a word to describe my work, but it was for being a full time researcher. It's not for everyone, but just pointing out that a shift to contract jobs is not necessarily a negative for everyone.

Evie

But there use to be some (even if never guareenteed) security working a full time job with a fair size company.

Independant contractors could be considered temps too in a fashion, since they have to furnish all their own insurance and unemployment etc, but it's not what we normally think of as temps.

Your sister had a spouse to purchase insurance, great, but if both temps or single, you'll really pay for insurance.

Taking time off when every you want sounds fine, except for many temp work is uncertain enough they don't dare turn down any good work, even if they had planned something else before the offer comes along.

I've got a relative that teaches, and has made do with part-time and semester by semester or year by year contracts for a while. Her husband is a minister. It was a real relief for her when got enough of a contract (one full year, renewable) to get state benefits.

If a person/couple has kids, I suspect a dependable regular income and insurance is more attractive even if it may be a bit less income.

I'm a stick in the mud type and know it. As much as occasionally I rather just take the day off, I rather have a regular good pay and benefit job than hustling on my own.

To each his own. My point is many are forced into temp work now, with a lot of uncertianity about having work even a majority of the time.

I'm lucky, never had more than a temporary layoff. I hope it stays that way for the next 10 years (more if my 401K does less well than hopes).

RogerNC

click here to email semods4@yahoo.com

I wonder how many people have longed for a 40 hour work week for decades? I think the 40 hour work week is a cute myth, and not of recent origin either.

He didn't say God wanted him to be President. He said 'I believe that God wants me to be president'. Christians come to such conclusions all the time. They think God wants a particular course of action. They do not make the leap that, because they think something, it must be so. All the giants of the faith obeyed what they believed God wanted them to do while leaving the door open to the possibility of their own misunderstanding. Recall Abraham who was ready to slay his son to obey God.

This is what I have been trying to say but apparently failing miserably (or could it be that some people read what they want to into this?)

Evie

Hi, KP.

Sorry, but I don't see any effective difference -- because whether he says it as an affirmation or a belief, I don't believe that God wants him to be President, and I believe that many of his policies are contrary to what God wants. Point is, you won't find liverals (and there are many religious ones) claiming that they're destined to be elected by God.

-- Dave K, Speakeasy Moderator
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com

The opinions expressed above are my own,
and do not necessarily reflect those of CNET!

... that which just isn't there Dave. Tell me, have you ever felt that since you are so good at getting grant money that perhaps God "called you" to that walk in life? The bottom line is that Bush has never expressed the level of arrogance about religion and God that his bashers have now been fed more fodder to invent

Evie

I'll never be able to explain it to you. As far as God not wanting him to be President, you've put your claim to be a Christian on shakey ground. Do YOU speak for God now? If God didn't want him to be President, he wouldn't BE President. Do you think God is watching helplessly from the sidelines? That's not Christianity; that's deism and perhaps a few other things as well.

If you are going to speak for God Dave, you'ld better do a whole lot more Bible study. Even the Biblical prophets questioned God's choices for the rulers of the world. For example, He picked the Babylonians and Nebechudnezzer (sp?) to defeat and occupy Israel. Try reading Habakuk if you want to see those questions asked. Just because He picks someone to rule (or lead) does not mean that that person is His person. If you don't see that, consider Bill Clinton.

Hi, Evie.

I agree it's twisted -- but if you bothered to read the links, that's exactly what Bush himself has said. I leave it as an exercise to the reader to figure out who's "twisted!"

-- Dave K.
Speakeasy Moderator
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com

The opinions expressed above are my own,
and do not necessarily reflect those of CNET!

I read MK's link as to the quote, and I repeated the quote in a post to Josh. You have to really twist and pervert that -- and make assumptions pretending to know Bush's mind -- go arrive at this ridiculous charge that somehow Bush claims to be appointed by God to do his will as President.

Evie

Hi Evie,

Actually, I think one has to do some assuming to get your interpretation of Bush's quote. "God wants me to be President" does not, as you say, make him akin to Pat Robertson, but to me it says more than God being a guiding hand - it implies God approves of Bush.

Rick

It also implies that HE didn't like HIS name in the Pledge of Allegiance and HE didn't like HIS Commandments displayed in a courthouse because HE allowed these things to take place under the watch of HIS approved President.

Hi Rick,

The full quote was "I believe that God wants me to be president." ... this was said at a gathering in the Governer's mansion after his second inauguration. Now there have been many times folks find themselves in certain situations and wonder if God isn't trying to tell them something. Given that he was always somewhat of a renegade in his family and was at that point back on the path that was probably expected of him all along, I just don't read so much into that innocent comment. Surely the idea of running for President at some point was nothing new for him. I just don't see anything wrong with him feeling that maybe that's why God put him on this planet after all. Lots of people in all walks of life express similar sentiments all the time, that maybe they are doing what God wanted for them, etc.

Many in this thread have spun this up into Bush thinks he is right 100% of the time because he thinks he is God's choice for President of the US. To this person of faith I can't see why anyone of similar faith would even think that's the case ... it's just so anathema to his faith from what I've heard him speak of it and what I know of his humility when he discusses God Almighty.

What I see is a lot of people with irrational fear of someone else's faith. I personally would rather have a man that lives his faith 24/7 at the helm than one who saves it for Church on Sundays or thinks they can somehow dissociate their public policies from personal beliefs. If our leaders have to check their personal moral compasses at the door we are all in trouble.

Evie

...George W Bush was made president by a higher power, and leave it there?

.

Hi, Evie.

"Irrational fear?" One interesting factoid in last night's show (I watched a few parts, but will catch it in full when the web file arrives) is that ALL the "faith-based" grants have gone to Christian organizations, though several eminently respected Jewish and Muslim charitable organizations have applied. I don't think Bush believes in the separation of Church and State, and that's a major problem.

-- Dave K, Speakeasy Moderator
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com

The opinions expressed above are my own,
and do not necessarily reflect those of CNET!

Hi Dave,

I would be interested in the actual numbers regarding the faith based initiatives. Jews make up about 2-3% of our population, and Muslims about half that ... that's a generous total of still less than 5% of the population. So, it would not require discrimination for all of the grants to have gone to Christian organizations as they presumably mirror the population in number and percentage. Now had they all gone to Southern Baptists you might be on to something, but I think you are hanging your hat on a pin with this charge.

Incidentally, did you notice? Bush Sr. is Episcopalian. If George W. was such ripe pickings for his Dad's influence and puppetmasters, isn't it amazing he chose to become a Southern Baptist? What an interesting dichotomy these discussions of the President's religion bring out. He's just a word mangling dolt, intellectually incurious, pawn for all the neocon policy wonks that really run things in his administration (to hear his bashers talk). But now he's an ideologue who is committed to a fearful agenda he thinks has been handed down to him from God. Pick one folks, the two just don't jive!

Evie

President Bush did not say what you are charging. It's that simple.

Hi, KP.

The quote is at the linked site, KP. Saying it ain't so doesn't make that the truth, any more than that young White Sox fan's plea to Shoeless Joe.

-- Dave K, Speakeasy Moderator
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com

The opinions expressed above are my own,
and do not necessarily reflect those of CNET!

The quote says what he said he thought (an opinion). He did not claim it was a prophetic utterance of a fact!

Evie, you continually address me in this fashion, as though I am beneath you.

... that is my opinion. You seem to be saying that Bush was ordered by God to be President. That's just not true.

Well,...you are kinda down at the end of the thread...

I guess any remark is fair to win an argument?????????

Let's suppose that God did want George Bush to be President. How does that make George Bush God's unique spokesman? It wouldn't unless God also told Bush that he would speak the words of God. Bush didn't claim any special ability to speak for God other than as a man of faith among many people of faith. He has no more, and no less, ability to speak for God than any other Christian.

thank you