LyraM45

Agreed. Maybe I'm biased because I have doubts she's even going to run. The lady looks tired and just might be done with everything! Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

The evening news said he was in custody and was 38 yrs old. Just how young are you? JerryBaumchen I didn't know who or how old the person was in this incident, so just saying that it could be the case of an elderly person again. 38? I guess not so much! Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Is it possible that people are just apeshit old/slow/not with it/etc/etc? Seems like the last time this happened, as mentioned in the article, it was an elderly man. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

I would also check to see what the jump minimums are. I can't remember off the top of my head, but I know they have a minimum for numbers and/or license. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

I was doing a freefly jump 4 months ago and got taken out-- it was almost a helmet to helmet high speed hit, where probably one or both of us would have been knocked out or maybe even worse. Luckily the head to head didn't happen, but I got hit hard enough to completely tear ligament off the bone in my knee as this jumper fell through me full speed head down from above me while I was head up. I'm just getting back to jumping now, and I was just talking to people at the dz about this yesterday..... I'm just mentally not where I want to be. Even though I was jumping with very talented fliers yesterday I was afraid to jump with people at freefly speeds (and we were only head up.... I'm so scared I couldn't fathom doing a head down jump right now), and I'm having trouble committing to no wind landings now since I'm worried about re-tearing things that are in the middle stages of healing. I guess the landing issue isn't the same as the first issue based from mental fear after an accident. I just feel mentally screwed now and wonder when I'll get back into the swing of things and stop thinking about what happened. Glad I stumbled on this thread ;) And it's not like a torn up knee is going to kill you or is "very serious", but I guess the thought of what could have happened if we had hit head to head is what really scares me overall. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

I don't think there is much new insight to add, so I would just take a look at the replies here and go from there

Why? How does skydiving experience qualify you to make an external inspection of internal aircraft components? Did any of the 'top' jumpers at Lodi know the control cables were long overdue to be changed? Of course not, because this is only something you find out in one of two ways - either the FAA busts you on it, and tells everyone about it in a press release, or the plane crashes, and the FAA discovers it in their investigation and tells everyone about it in the accident report. Ditto for the skipped inspections on the wing attachment pionts. Nothing short of personally inspecting the MX logs for the aircraft will allow you to be truely 'informed', so your jump numbers are not a factor in determining the safety of a DZ. You look around, and take a guess, but certain things you have to take on the 'word' of the DZO, such as aircraft MX. When the DZO has downed planes due to short-cutting MX, and then been busted very publicly for flagrantly short-cutting MX on another aircraft, why would anyone trust that DZO again? Of course, I mean besides the cheap jumps, anyone who has such low prices must be a great guy... I'm still amazed at the number of Lodi jumpers willing to defend the DZO, even after he lied to them and put their lives at risk. Just because the plane didn't crash doesn't change the fact that the man did this to every person who jumped at his DZ, but saving $10 a jump makes it all OK. Crazy shit up there in Lodi. Sorry I never replied to this, Dave...for some reason just seeing this now. Agreed on all accounts. You and I are on the same page with respect to this issue. Getting more jumps under your belt would do nothing for you in terms of gauging the internal condition of an aircraft. I guess I was just alluding to if you're an experienced jumper and aware of why this place is so infamous, then you're a grown up skydiver at that point and can make your own decisions vs. students or 1 time only tandems who just don't know what they don't know. I'm with you with the last bit of what you said. It amazes me too. But $15 jump tickets, so it's all good right? Cracks me up because I bought a bunch of tickets at skydance when they were $18. What a difference 3 bucks will get ya! ETA: I just saw ron posted a reply and basically took the words out of my mouth, but I'll leave my reply anyway

This. Best post in the thread to answer the "double standard," and nobody even responded. This just in..you just did. Wow... seriously? Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

This. Best post in the thread to answer the "double standard," and nobody even responded. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

kudos for a bigger reserve too! Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Yes, METAR information is available historically too. I just chose to provide the most current translated report so people could quickly see what the weather is like at the DZ or other place right now. By the way, anyone that is interested can go here and have at a lot of data: http://www.aviationweather.gov/adds/ Convective SIGMETS might be worthwhile too. We have a lot of this information streamlined through the CWSU website, which was my boss's brain child out of our office here at Oakland Center. People tend to like pretty pictures, which we have a lot of

I'd say for just under 2 hours of tunnel time you are doing really fantastic!

I dunno which ones he picked. The Oakland riot, the LA, riot, the NYC riot, the Baltimore riot, or the mass of idiocy that might be a riot in Florida. http://m.nbclosangeles.com/nbclosangeles/pm_107879/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=n6d31j87 LA: Fires/arsons, random beatings, general demonstrations/protests, broken windows, looting, racial epithets and angry claims of justified retribution, yeah, that sounds like a riot to me. You guys all realize there is a difference between protests and proper rioting, right? Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Like this kind of persecution? http://www.atheist-community.org/images/cartoon/2N121218JHy191215Q9eQ.jpg Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

I think I would agree with you, except that legally that is still separate yet equal if you are not allowing them the use of the legal definition of their relationship like everybody else. So, it technically does deal with rights still

I am REALLY confused on this whole you being attacked and persecuted thing. Can you provide me a few examples of why you feel so? When I hear persecution, I think of the Jews and stuff. You can't tell me things are that bad for you and the white man! Last I heard white men weren't being offed, or burned at stakes, or chained and drug behind trucks, etc, etc. Did I miss something or maybe I just need another cup of coffee this morn? Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Yes you're still replying and playing ball...... Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Do you equally hate all of those christians with their bumper stickers, and their "1 man plus 1 woman = marriage" stickers. And what about those fish emblems? Those uppity christians drawing attention to themselves. Damn them!!! Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

So it's all about me, huh? I'll ask you the same question - Is there anything that you identify with that would cause you a great amount of pain and suffering if the government just decided to change against your will? Well, no, but you just happen to be the first person in my sample. You said earlier we were trying to read peoples minds, so that's why I am asking the question here directly, and doing it first to you. I don't want to assume I know what people are thinking, like how you said earlier. Again, I ask, please tell me about the harm that has come to you because the government is recognizing gay marriages. I'll be happy to also answer this (your) question if you can provide me a theoretical situation or example recently of something that has changed in the government, and I will let you know what rights I have lost or harm that has come to me because of it. Why can't you answer the question as it was asked? Why insert your own parameters. To answer your question regarding me, I'm not saying that any direct harm came to me because of the decision, I am claiming that it could have hurt others. I'm trying, but in all honesty I can not think of an example that the government has done something, similar to this, that directly hurt me or taken rights away from me. Similarly, I'm having a hard time even thinking of a hypothetical situation that would allow me to answer the question, so this is why I asked you to shoot me one. I'm definitely not trying to avoid your question. I'll be happy to answer, but I just can't think of a situation (or a hypothetical one) where I feel like I've been harmed. So, if you have not seen any direct harm but feel others could be harmed, how do you think they could be harmed? I'm not asking to pick on you or single you out, but I truly am interested in the answer since I don't know if they can be directly harmed. OK - Hypothetically, your hypothetical daughter is named "North". There are hundreds of years of very intense heritage and reason for why your hypothetical daughter is named "North". In fact, it is an integral base to your relationship with her and your Husband (He can be Hypothetical if you wish, too) But, the government decided that North can no longer mean what "North" meant before. It was argued that other people's wants are more important than yours. And you are told that it does you no harm. Does that make a difference to you at that point? Do you think that the Boy Scouts should be forced to allow girls to be members? Do you think that the Girl Scouts should be forced to allow Boys? Sorry to get back to this late-- I was away from my computer for the last day. Lets see if I can sort this out and answer honestly if this were real...... I would have to assume, to make it similar to the whole gay rights situation, that having the name north and it's associated meaning was somehow denying others of the same rights I have. Hypothetically, lets say that I am white and North was a name that somehow offered special tax benefits to any white person named north. So, you think a lot of white people are going to have the name north worked into their legal name somewhere. This whole group got special treatment because of this, and it's been going on for a long time. People feel passionately about it, since of course it's a name that has been passed down and comes with the benefits. It has meaning and has grown roots over the years. Government steps in and says, "well, legally we have to make the same benefits you get from using north available to all the other tax paying citizens, who are regular folks of this country, just like you." I could interpret that as them changing the meaning of North, since now it will not mean and offer the exact same things as before this change. Legally that is not unfair. Now everybody is given the same benefits across the board. I can still name my kid north, they will still get the same benefits they always got getting that name, and nothing else changes except some other people now have those benefits too-- which honestly, when it comes to equal rights within the law, I can't be mad at. Now you can say the government has no business recognizing a certain name or group to begin with, and rights should have just been given to all citizens with any name. I completely agree with that, but in the history of this word, what's done is done and the government has just as much roots in the specialization of the word as the word has meaning to the group. At the end of the day, everybody legally has to be treated the same. History of a word is not justification for continuing to treat a certain group less than another. At least not in a legal sense. If I were in the North situation, I would argue that government shouldn't have been offering special rights for babies named north to begin with. But whats done is done at this point, and now it needs to be fixed and everybody on the same level playing field. Sorry for the long response and if I drifted off here and there, but that is the best I could answer this! Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

And why did you choose to start chasing girls not boys? Were you sitting there thinking "I like dicks, and I like boobs, but I can't focus on both at the same time. I'm going to have to narrow this down."? Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

You do realize that the court did it's job, right? If we let the "will of the people," rule, which in this case is the majority who voted out right of the minority (gays), then we would still live in a world where a white person can not marry a black person. Theoretically speaking, what if the will of the people was to outlaw skydiving? What if the majority (wuffos) voted to completely stop skydiving across this country because they didn't like it? How would you feel about that when, as a skydiver, you and your group did nothing wrong? Wouldn't you want somebody to step in and be the voice of reason when a majority will always continue to out vote the minority no matter how justified the minority is? Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Well, of course there is no plain language "right to marry the same sex" amendment, but there are things that guarantee equal rights to citizens, no? And not only equal rights, but not separate but equal rights. If we had to make plain language amendments like that regarding each and every equal rights issues, there would be a LOT of them I think! Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

So it's all about me, huh? I'll ask you the same question - Is there anything that you identify with that would cause you a great amount of pain and suffering if the government just decided to change against your will? Well, no, but you just happen to be the first person in my sample. You said earlier we were trying to read peoples minds, so that's why I am asking the question here directly, and doing it first to you. I don't want to assume I know what people are thinking, like how you said earlier. Again, I ask, please tell me about the harm that has come to you because the government is recognizing gay marriages. I'll be happy to also answer this (your) question if you can provide me a theoretical situation or example recently of something that has changed in the government, and I will let you know what rights I have lost or harm that has come to me because of it. Why can't you answer the question as it was asked? Why insert your own parameters. To answer your question regarding me, I'm not saying that any direct harm came to me because of the decision, I am claiming that it could have hurt others. I'm trying, but in all honesty I can not think of an example that the government has done something, similar to this, that directly hurt me or taken rights away from me. Similarly, I'm having a hard time even thinking of a hypothetical situation that would allow me to answer the question, so this is why I asked you to shoot me one. I'm definitely not trying to avoid your question. I'll be happy to answer, but I just can't think of a situation (or a hypothetical one) where I feel like I've been harmed. So, if you have not seen any direct harm but feel others could be harmed, how do you think they could be harmed? I'm not asking to pick on you or single you out, but I truly am interested in the answer since I don't know if they can be directly harmed. ETA: I just saw bill's post with the gun example. I guess you could use that. Am I the biggest gun fan? Nope. Do I agree with all of the laws we have for them now that allow them to be readily available to anybody? Probably not. But that doesn't mean it has done me direct harm. My rights are just the same, my life goes on just the same, and the world keeps turning if people can own guns even though I don't like them. The only anguish I would be feeling in that situation is self induced stressed if I couldn't get over the fact that people are still allowed to own guns despite my disdain for them. There is no direct harm being done to me, it is not changing my life because others can exercise this right, and I have not had to make any changes in my life because of it either. Zero impacts. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

So it's all about me, huh? I'll ask you the same question - Is there anything that you identify with that would cause you a great amount of pain and suffering if the government just decided to change against your will? Well, no, but you just happen to be the first person in my sample. You said earlier we were trying to read peoples minds, so that's why I am asking the question here directly, and doing it first to you. I don't want to assume I know what people are thinking, like how you said earlier. Again, I ask, please tell me about the harm that has come to you because the government is recognizing gay marriages. I'll be happy to also answer this (your) question if you can provide me a theoretical situation or example recently of something that has changed in the government, and I will let you know what rights I have lost or harm that has come to me because of it. Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Except it can't, because in the reverse there are no affected. Allowing gay marriage and calling it marriage has no effect whatsoever on straight marriage or what it is called. So, you can read the minds of every straight married couple, and know explicitly what harm has and has not been done. Did you suddenly grow Kallend's clairvoyance/time machine? Well, lets sample straight people here. What rights have you lost since gays have been allowed to marry? Or what kind of harm has come to you? Harm is more than just a loss or gain of rights. That's why I asked it as a separate question, so if you want to just address the harm part, I'll take only that answer from you if you want