crwmike

i'll bite, what the fuck, over ??????????? I LOOOOOOVE flying with white people. It is sooo much fun and makes me so proud to see my white sky brothers and sisters ROCKING out in the sky. I LOVE IT! Michael

I'd just like to state, that there is nothing cooler than an all white skydive. (well, and a very cool Latin camera flyer ) There is something about jumping with other white people that is calming, relaxing, fun, low-stress, and just all out cool as hell. Michael

Commit a federal crime? Michael

Dude, you don't understand ...you don't have to have actually done something to brag about it. Sheesh, aren't they teaching new skydivers anything ?? Michael

The son of immigrant parents from a country that no longer exists, my father grew up in street gangs in south Philly. He left school in the fifth grade and spoke with an accent that was a mixture of Slovak and south Philly. He married a woman from the rural south and that's where we grew up. I was ashamed of him. With his gruff manner and strange accent, (he said things like 'youse guys' when the rest of the world said y'all), he was different from everyone else. I was ashamed to bring friends to our house. When he failed in business and took a job as the night watchman on a fishing resort, I was even more ashamed. As an adult, I moved to another state. I shamed myself ...committed crimes, went to jail. At any rate, I served my time, got out and was determined to be a good man. I moved to another state, took what work I could get and eventually entered nursing school. I was in my last month of school when my father called me. We talked about inconsequential stuff and as we were finishing, I said, "Dad, I wish things had been different, but I want you to know that I love you". Later that week, I was at Cedars Hospital, when they called me off the floor for a phone call. My father had gone out to play golf that morning, finished the 18th hole, sat down and died. I went home for the funeral. During that time, I found out that the rest of my family had blown me off when I went to jail ...all but Dad. He stood against the rest of the family and insisted "Mike's going to be a good man. Don't give up on him." I've tried to be a good man, Dad. More than twenty years later, torn, scarred and pretty much used up, I still try to be a good man. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you are waiting to say something to someone you care about, say it now ...you may never have another chance. Life is short and uncertain ...do it now! I love you Dad. Michael

I'll see your $5 and raise you one act of contrition. Come on, go old school. I'll raise you one heretic for inquisition, and an adultress to stone Seems a waste of a perfect good adultress ...fold. Michael

Have you ever done a pre-dawn jump? Wheels up in the dark. On the way to altitude, the sun rises ...really fast. In freefall, the sun sets ...REALLY fast. On the ground, watch the sun rise ...a la natural. Most beautiful! Michael

Are you talking about boosted or the guy he trying to feel superior to? Michael

Mindblowing sex with someone you don't like?! Oh my. There are other issues at play here. Michael Don't knock masturbation. It's safe sex with someone you love.

My life is a total trainwreck if it is to be judged regarding order. ( see attached real time photo of my home office) My biggest reason for having my kids in my local Catholic school is the love that is there. At our parent-teacher conferences our teacher told each of our daughters "I love you", and she does. And we love her daughter and son, too. I suspect that in the public school system, if a teacher told a kid she loved him there would be some sort of discipline. It's just so cool to drop my kids off and have them exchange hugs with their 8th grade "Buddies" (bigger kids assigned to littler kids to help them out during the school year) Aside from freefall, it's the thing I love most about skydiving. It's a loving, caring environment. Orderly heirachical organizations are neat, and I admire them, but I've done extremely poorly in them on every occasion. I was a cop for a long time, but that wasn't for order and heirarchy, it was for the opportunity to beat the shit out of bullies and kick them weeping into a corner where they begged the forgiveness of their victims. See? There I go again. Poor impulse control. Say three Hail Mary's and put $5 in the poor box.

Nope, no firewall. Michael

Ok, progress.

got java installed but never have been able to see the chat area. Michael

First, I agree with you. I don't understand how this brings you business, however. I've worked in 25 or so hospitals in my career ...they all do this. Michael

Doesn't work for me either. Michael

I've been reading SF all my life and am a voracious reader. Ender's Game was one of the very best! Now for the bad news. If you are expecting more great reading with the sequels ...well, don't. Actually, I recommend passing on them entirely. Mark's recommends 'Snow Crash'. It's a good read (another of Stephen's Metaverse stories) and I enjoyed it. Ends rather abrubtly, and it bothered me a bit that the two main characters, barely interact as they each go about saving the world. It's a B+ novel, however, where, 'Ender' tops out the grading scale. Michael

That goes back to my littebug point. If those behaviors were accepted, they were committed. Yeah, if the parents tolerate that stuff, it will happen. Young people rise to their expectations. No disrespect intended, but ;) is it possible that your experiences have led you to desire life to be neat, structured and orderly and you equate that with academic superiority? For example, what kind of work do you do? I'd give small odds that it was something with a clearly understood hierarchial structure. (military?) Do I have a problem viewing the catholic church as fostering creative, open learning environments ...well, yes, I do. Peace, Michael

"Not his fault John, He's American." Now that's a bit unfair. I blame it on the nuns. Aside from a pressing need for neatness, order and structure, I'n pretty sure they drilled him on the rote memory stuff. Try him on multiplication tables ;) "Bless him, Sometimes I swear he understands every word I say to him." He's such a sweet boy. "I feel a bit like Jane Goodall some days." You look a bit like Jane ...in her later years. Michael

It looked real to me. Michael

Yes. Michael

You have some experience working in ER? Michael

USPA sees a problem and has plans to announce (later this year, I think) a new GT rating. Michael

[replyJust to be clear, I'm not advocating intentional cutaways for dual pack parachute systems. I hate reserve rides and if I never have another it will be too soon. I just don't think a clean intentional is nearly as stupid or dangerous as many things I see happening at the DZ on a regular basis that many jumpers think are extreme cutting edge moves to strive for. JMO. Bob Bob, You're going to give the boy a headache. BSBD, Michael

check out the models for these:

If you like fireworks, I'd recommend catching the show at Epcot. They do a better fireworks show EVERY NIGHT than most cities do on the 4th of July. Michael