Posts by Xander

11

Anybody here been an airline flight attendant (or known someone who has)?

by Xander in

jw
friends

wife has an interesting opportunity to do this, but...well, it's a risk.

she passed the interviews and was invited to the 4-week training.

thing is, they say that 75% of those who are accepted into training for it wash out.

Xander

To give up a good job for it other than the above, I'd think twice. There is a very high turnover rate also!!!

Her perception is that she does not currently have 'a good job'. It pays well - she'll make about half as much starting out as a flight attendant - but she is a retail manager, and has come to hate the corporate lack of direction. Basically, retail companies abuse their employees pretty badly as far as hours, job requirements, work conditions, etc because they can't unionize - it's just WAY to easy to fill positions (it's essentially a 0-skill job).

11

Anybody here been an airline flight attendant (or known someone who has)?

by Xander in

jw
friends

wife has an interesting opportunity to do this, but...well, it's a risk.

she passed the interviews and was invited to the 4-week training.

thing is, they say that 75% of those who are accepted into training for it wash out.

Xander

Wife has an interesting opportunity to do this, but...well, it's a risk. She passed the interviews and was invited to the 4-week training. Thing is, they say that 75% of those who are accepted into training for it wash out. I mean, to quit a decent paying full-time job for that kind of wash-out rate?

Is that legit? Are 3/4 of those who make it past the interviews and background screening washed out of the training? Is it because many of those who somehow get past the interviews are still not really into it? Or, is it just INSANELY hard to pass?

Anyone with any experience on this?

6

Better DVD out there than "The God Who Wasn't There (2005)"?

by Xander in

a well-advertised dvd covering the argument that jesus did not exist.

linkage.

now, i've certainly done a lot of on- and off- line research on the topic, and 99% of this is repetition to me.

Xander

The best layman's presentation of arguments against an historical Christ are in book form and unlikely to be turned into a movie although there were some advertisments about a movie called The Beast that claimed to do just that. It may yet come out, but I'm afraid to make it exciting its inevitably going to dramatize and sensationalize.

Mind you this has nothing to do with the question of Atheism vs. Theism. You appear to be confusing the two things.

Eh...not really, just stated the first thing to set the stage for the discussion, then went into the problem. I obviously follow that they are not the same, but I am hardly trying to "prove" that god doesn't exist - an absurdity if there ever was one. Indeed, being critical of any or other religions is not my goal at all - specifically, coming from a background of Christianity, I merely want to have something my wife can watch to provide some semblance of proof to some of her beliefs.

She'd essentially left the JWs entirely on emotional reasons - she felt they didn't show the 'brotherly love' Christians were supposed to be known for (a theory she tested in half a dozen congregations), and her opinion of other Christians is even worse. And while an emotional reason is fine, I suppose....I'd sure prefer she had more to work from.

She'd come to the conclusion, basically, that since JWs were not the 'one true religion', and everyone else was 'worse', there must be no religion. This is not a method of drawing a conclusion that would stand up to any argument...which concerns me.

6

Better DVD out there than "The God Who Wasn't There (2005)"?

by Xander in

a well-advertised dvd covering the argument that jesus did not exist.

linkage.

now, i've certainly done a lot of on- and off- line research on the topic, and 99% of this is repetition to me.

Xander

I concur with your comments about the film. However, the ending was so powerful I have to say I was really moved by watching it. The maker of the film had been emotionally tortured for years by the belief he had possibly committed the unforgiveable sin against the Holy Spirit and might burn in hell for an eternity. To see him at the end of the film stand in the very church where he was indoctrinated and renounce that belief was powerful.

Perhaps, but ultimately meaningless.

I am not interested in seeing a movie about someone personally confronting their "demons", I can read any of a dozen message boards (including this) for more powerful examples of that. What I'm looking for is a workable presentation of evidence, backed up by facts, that presents this case in a movie format.

6

Better DVD out there than "The God Who Wasn't There (2005)"?

by Xander in

a well-advertised dvd covering the argument that jesus did not exist.

linkage.

now, i've certainly done a lot of on- and off- line research on the topic, and 99% of this is repetition to me.

Xander

A well-advertised DVD covering the argument that Jesus did not exist.

Linkage

Now, I've certainly done a lot of on- and off- line research on the topic, and 99% of this is repetition to me. Amusingly presented here and there, but...that's about it. Overall presentation, though, is pretty damn poor.

He doesn't really provide any facts to back up his statements, does take things out of context, mis-attributes quotes, basically picks off people in passing to ask questions of faith, etc.

What I'm looking for is not so much an attack on individual faith, crimes of Christianity, etc - but more criticism of the historical nature (or lack thereof) of Jesus....in a movie format*. Better than this one.

(*Wife is a happy atheist, but with no means to argue her beliefs. She does not really care enough about the topic to do any reading on it, and just casually dismisses Christians as a bunch of nutters, now. Which...annoys me. I find little fault with the position, but I'm bothered by her embracing one set of beliefs with no understanding of it just as easily as she had embraced JW teachings with no real understanding of them.)

25

They have started to shun my JW wife!

by jwfacts in

my poor wife has been quite stressed knowing what to do with her life.

she has never been intellectually interested enough to study whether the wts is the truth, just went because it seemed the best way of life and her family and friends are in it.

when i stopped going she did not know what to do wanting to keep both me and the congregation happy, and becamed fairly irregular at meetings and field service.

Xander

Well, FWIW, that is basically what got my wife out of it. She decided to stop trying to make conversation with others, just went to a meeting once and sat down, to see if anyone would come up and talk to her.

That test (which the hall failed - naturally) pretty much put her off the whole thing. Kinda pointed out to her that the WTS offered no TRUE friendship - just superficial conditional 'friendship'. Which isn't really what she wanted.

At the time, she still believed in the Bible (a bit), and the line about knowing Jesus's followers by their 'true love' made the dichotomy between what they WERE and what they SAID they were...quite clear.

21

Sooo....anybody know of any IT jobs in Oregon? (Or...anywhere?)

by Xander in

jw
friends

i've been working at a telephony company doing primarily sql database stuff for the past 7 years, and the last year of that telecommuting from oregon (they didn't want to lose such a valued employee, so made arrangements for that).

unfortunately, our ceo died recently (within the past 6 weeks), the resulting turmoil with investors and customers is causing the company to go out of business.

should last out the end of the month, but, then, that's it.

Xander

Bumping for evening crowd!

21

Sooo....anybody know of any IT jobs in Oregon? (Or...anywhere?)

by Xander in

jw
friends

i've been working at a telephony company doing primarily sql database stuff for the past 7 years, and the last year of that telecommuting from oregon (they didn't want to lose such a valued employee, so made arrangements for that).

unfortunately, our ceo died recently (within the past 6 weeks), the resulting turmoil with investors and customers is causing the company to go out of business.

should last out the end of the month, but, then, that's it.

Xander

Check the State of Oregon official website and look under "Employment". Last time I looked there were several agencies in the state looking for IT nerds.

I've looked there a few times before. Those guys seem really bad at getting back with you. Maybe it's the lack of degree, again. And the pay is usually atrocious.

And you need a higher level degree? Generally in telephony, experience is what counts. But seeing that you are on the IT side of the house, it probably is different. I guess I can consider myself lucky having been in wireless for 13 years now....without a degree(dropout).

IT side IS different. It's all about degree and certifications, experience matters very little. Or, rather, degree and certifications matter very little to the person actually doing the hiring, and experiences makes ALL the difference. However, the HR people filtering the resumes before they GET to the hiring managers can hardly turn on their computers without help, and so just check the submitted resume for a list of acronyms - most of which I lack. So, my substantial amounts of experience likely never even GET to the department managers.

Not sure if you have other telco experience or not, but it is fairly easy to get into a "field tech" position at a wireless telco that pays decent. Starters with little experience can usually make around $35-40k. As long as you can tie your shoes, you are qualified.(I'm just saying that because we have a couple idiots that work for us who have needed to get the boot for soooo long) Plus, you almost always get a company vehicle too.

I'd say borderline "virtually no experience" in that area. I learn quick, but....I dunno, think a more office-oriented job would be better. (Not opposed to travel OR field work, of course - but I'd rather not it be more than half the job)

21

Sooo....anybody know of any IT jobs in Oregon? (Or...anywhere?)

by Xander in

jw
friends

i've been working at a telephony company doing primarily sql database stuff for the past 7 years, and the last year of that telecommuting from oregon (they didn't want to lose such a valued employee, so made arrangements for that).

unfortunately, our ceo died recently (within the past 6 weeks), the resulting turmoil with investors and customers is causing the company to go out of business.

should last out the end of the month, but, then, that's it.

Xander

No, don't be sorry, it's my own fault I didn't fight harder to finish a degree that'd actually be USEFUL today. I appreciate any help or suggestions anyone can offer!

21

Sooo....anybody know of any IT jobs in Oregon? (Or...anywhere?)

by Xander in

jw
friends

i've been working at a telephony company doing primarily sql database stuff for the past 7 years, and the last year of that telecommuting from oregon (they didn't want to lose such a valued employee, so made arrangements for that).

unfortunately, our ceo died recently (within the past 6 weeks), the resulting turmoil with investors and customers is causing the company to go out of business.

should last out the end of the month, but, then, that's it.

Xander

My wife works retail (manager), so she can get a job pretty much anywhere. DINKs means that we can actually afford more house than our ages would betoken. It's just up to me to find a position.

(And, knowing the wife's interest in history, I could safely guess she'd just about KILL to live in Boston - LOL. )