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I have no problem with someone criticizing an elected leader for a mistake. I do have a problem with relating her to an ill-educated teenage pageant contestant (or some of the worse comparisons and criticisms referenced in this thread). And if you're so hung up on elected leaders not speaking in a serious manner, please refer me to all of your criticisms of the previous administration. Because... damn.

I support that Biden, not Trump, is President because of her. I absolutely do not support the thinly veiled sexism that drives your discourse. She no "valley girl". She's an accomplished professional navigating uncharted waters. You owe yourself better.

When there are senate candidates who don't believe in evolution because there are still apes around. When states are proposing the death penalty for women who get abortions. When towns are trying to ban hello and replace it with heaveno When states are banning teachers from discussing the existence of homosexuality When all that is going on, I am not sure a VP using simple language is really the most important issue to focus on.

Hi Don, I always read any link that I post. I just wanted to put somewhat of a happy face on what might be a major problem for her. Jerry Baumchen

Send some of those R/C planes over to Ukraine… Wendy P.

War is a negative-sum game. The winner also loses.

Phew, that's a relief. For a moment there I was worried.

Supporting her as Vice President, and respecting her achievements, is not the same as thinking she’d be the next ideal president. You voted for Trump at least in 201), I assume — does that mean yiu think Mike Pence would be a good next president? Wendy P.

You sure do like your talking points. Wendy P.

The canopy collapse question is a good one, and it's one of the many questions I am thinking of in the category of "one right way". There is probably more than one right way to collapse a canopy. What method is best depends on a bunch of things, including the type of canopy, the prevailing winds at the DZ, etc. The question of what is the BEST way will also depend. Maybe your landing area is all sand, so your big concern is longevity of the canopies. Every DZO will make these decisions for themselves. My plan for the new SIM is to treat questions like this as follows: 1. Explain WHY you need one right way (in this case: the canopy can drag you, and that's bad) 2. Give an example of one right way (I teach drop one toggle and use both hands to pull hand over hand on the other steering LINE, mostly because it's foolproof and they already have the toggles in their hands) 3. Say that there is more than one right way, and tell the skydiver to ask their USPA instructor about the most appropriate method to use at their drop zone. The advantage of this approach is that it allows you to teach whatever works for you, but reminds instructors that they have to teach SOMETHING. It also means that you can tell the student to go read that section of the SIM, and if they don't ask about how to collapse the canopy afterward, you know something useful about how likely that student is to actually read things. Things like mnemonics, for gear checks and canopy checks, are another good example of questions that I plan to treat with this "one right way" approach.

Oh yes, I know all that. Having been in that position for roughly 32 years (my military career), my problems are that 1) no one called him out for it (so I needed to do so), and 2) this nonsense still happens to educated, powerful women in this country (I'm sure it also happens in many of the other countries whose citizens participate on this forum, but as so-called world leadership goes, some of us still don't live that example). It's disgusting and I refuse to let it slide.

I'd like to think that our leadership has in mind such a line and has already crafted our response. I'd like to believe that response included wide, firm and believable consensus among our European Allies that crossing that line would spring them into powerful action. But I don't, not yet. It sucks to be Ukraine, they're likely thinking, but if Ukraine becomes part of Russia Christmas will still happen in Iowa and the miracle of the EU will continue. Putin likely figures that in the aftermath, once we all calm down, Europe will go back to buying Russian gas and oil, multi-nationals will continue to confirm their allegiance to the bourses, and life will go on.

Well said, Phil.

Fucking radical. That premise went out the window around 2011.