meltdown

*** It's not an issue of censorship - CBS is a free entity and can put whatever they want on their channel. It's just an example of a TV network caving into pressure from conservatives. That's not censorship, just pressure from a group that doesn't want a hero of theirs shown with the wrong spin. ________________________________________________ You are absolutely correct. But, there is nothing sinister about it. It's no different than a corporation caving from the pressure brought to bear by a union. Business people have to make tough decisions. CBS doesn't give a rat's ass whether or not Tom Delay is gonna watch - but they probably give a shit whether mainstream conservatives watch, since they make up about 1/2 of the country. People and organizations have always used what leverage they have for whatever their goals might be, and they always will. It's called freedom.

It's not censorship. Censorship is when the government won't let them air it. They decided, after feeling the heat, not to air it. The decision was made by CBS, not uncle sam. It's funny that when liberals get criticized, they scream censorship. However, when they decide to slander someone with alzheimers, it's free speech. This is NOT CENSORSHIP!

I'm getting sick of the endless arguments about the last election. Left wingers: Bush won because that's how the electoral system works. Every recount, every analysis shows him willing via the electoral college, which is the constitutional way of determining who is president. If it bothers you, lobby for an amendment to change it. Until then - deal with it. It's how the system works. Right wingers: A lot more people voted for Gore than Bush; he won the popular vote. Deal with it. __________________________________________________ Well said.

>My job is a living example of the movie "Office >Space". Cubicals and all. I'm going to go ahead and need you to start working now, and I'm going to go ahead and need you to work Saturday and Sunday.

>They bothered me back then as well. Your lack of >attention about what bothers me does not further >your argument. Cronyism is wrong. Period. I haven't seen sufficient evidence that this falls into that category. Given the urgent nature of the work and the fact that very few companies qualify to even do the work don't seem to be factored in by the hordes of Bush haters. I don't know all the facts, but I'm not sure not buying the political spin of the so called "center for public integrity", or whatever the hell self righteous name they gave themselves.

Cronyism isn't new at all. Doesn't make it right. _____________________________________________ No it doesn't. But I seriously doubt you or the other lefties on this site were up in arms over the numerous examples of Clinton cronyism. I guess it's not okay to use GOP donors to rebuild Iraq, but it's okay to trade missile technology to China for campaign donations. Please.

Cronyism? Gee whiz. So I guess we should just let the place sit there in flames because we don't want Bush's buddies to make any money? Talk about cronysim, slick willie was the king, and right from the very first. Remember travelgate, where the travel office staff was fired and replaced by Clinton cronies? But that wasn't enough. Then they had to sic the IRS on the poor guy that ran the place and ruin his fuckin' life, all to try to create a false justification for the whole damn thing. Then of course there's the Roger Clinton and Hugh Rodham pardon for sale scandals, and the infamous pardon of Marc Rich. And by the way, wasn't it Clintonista Bob Rubin that tried by get the feds to bail out Enron in the 11th hour? In fact, it was! To be sure, Enron never had a better friend than Clinton. It's well documented that he did many favors for Lay and co, including helping win approval for power plants. Of course you will never hear about that in the media, who worship the slime trail that Clinton leaves when he slithers.

I agree. Most people I know who are lefties have no problem bashing Bush on the level of schoolchildren (name calling, etc), yet they consider themselves to be the thoughtful, intellectual type. And of course everyone who disagrees with their vision of a socialistic utopia is a closed minded idiot who just doesn't get it. What's funny is, I used to believe all the liberal claptrap, up until the time I finally DID open my mind.

Race or religion does not matter to me. I have friends of all colors (the usual ones, anyway). And I don't even ask about religion, cause I don't care. That said, I voted yes, because like it or not, there are racial and religious supremecists out there of all stripes who have no problem snuffing me (or you, or anyone else) for totally illogical reasons that happen to be related to race and/or religion. So yes, it does matter, especially if you happen to be the victim of one of these idiots. I think most regular people are mature enough to deal with these types of differences in a constructive way, but there are plenty or wackos out there.

Hey Leonard I had landing problems too - my last 2 tandems and my first 2 AFF jumps I landed on my ass. Since then I've landed them all on my feet. I posted a thread about this, and someone said "put your feet under you". Sounds too simple, but that, along with looking out in front, rather than straight down, did the trick. I just make sure my feet are under me, and if I have too much forward speed to just plant my feet and land, I run it out. Been working fine so far....GOOD LUCK

Dude, you rock. I'm printing that picture right now!

I guess it's a damn good thing we're all filthy stinking rich.

That's awesome! I did my first tandem with Christian and he is great. He has a very calming demeanor. I actually did AFF at a different DZ because I didn't want to wait the 3 or so weeks for them to schedule a ground school, but SSM is a great place to jump. You ought to go out there for the Halloween party.

Its amazing what goes on in airline security... ______________________________________________ No Kidding. I always get a kick out of the security people making my 7 year old daughter (who has cerebral palsy), get out of her wheelchair so they can frisk her. This happens everytime she flies, no exception. Every time I want to take a picture, but then they'd probably toss me in the slammer. Meanwhile people are bringing all kinds of dangerous shit on board. Maybe profiling isn't such a bad thing.

Hell yes legalize drugs, for those 18 and over. There is no logical reason why an adult using a drug in his home should be tossed in jail. Trying to enforce unenforcable drug laws is government waste at it's worst. They should be regulated and taxed just like cigarettes and alcohol (the destructive drugs deemed to be acceptable), and funds should be made available from those tax monies for treatment programs for those who wish to quit. It will give our farmers who are currently subsidized by the taxpayer something profitable to grow, rather than paying them for NOT growing something. But most of all, it's freedom for the individual to do as he pleases with his or her body, without government intrusion. Of course, if someone fucks up he should be held accountable, and driving under the influence laws should be made tougher. Just my opinion.

Welcome to skydiving! I just finished AFF, and the best advice I can give is to focus on your body position at pull time. On my AFF 5 I wasn't paying much attention (I had already done all the "hard" stuff) and went into a tumble when I went to reach/pull. It scared the shit out of me. I will NEVER again forget that pull time is one of the most critical parts of the dive. Have fun!

My first (and only, so far) solo jump was awesome. I did a forward flip, tracked for a few seconds, looked at my altimeter and realized I still had 2 grand to fuck off, so I just looked at the horizon, and it was the most amazing feeling. Also, for the first time, I was completely relaxed in freefall, probably cuz I didn't have to prove anything to anybody. I can't wait to finish my last 2 coach jumps so I can do it again!

That Caravan kicks ass! Thanks for lettin' us use it. Talk about a fast climber - I'm totally spoiled now

I had the same identical problem throughout AFF. It got a little better on each jump (the first AFF jump was chip city), and I found I had to remind myself to relax and breathe during freefall. I did my first solo this past weekend and was more solid than ever. I think it was because it was the first time I didn't have to do anything in particular, so I was able to just relax and enjoy.

Thanks alot for everyones input. I had 2 non-gluteal landings this weekend, the 1st one was a cross wind PLF (ugly, but didn't go down butt first), the 2nd was a standup landing 10 meters from the peas. All the great advice from this board really helped. Thanks, Rick

Thanks everyone for the tips. I'll be jumping this weekend so plenty to think about before then. Thanks, Rick "may i marble dogface to the banana patch?" - S. Martin

Hey People! I'm new to skydiving (3 tandems and 2 AFF jumps with jumpmaster), and I haven't figured out how to land on my feet. My jumpmaster said I am starting to flare at the right time, but following through too quickly. Anyone here had the same problem? My behind is starting to ache.... Thanks, Rick "may i marble dogface to the banana patch?" - S. Martin