jfields

I'm in a really generous mood. You get 80:20. Out of my 20, I'll even donate some to Don's "Skymama Vibrator Class" the charity of your choice.

But... but... but.... I have money on you to win! Surely that ought to get me some points.

Interesting dilemma! I didn't find an option specific for me either, although not for the same reason. These damned poll-writers...

Bring it on, Viking. You just swim on over here, and when you get to the beach in Maryland, I'll race ya.

Damn, I am in some shady company. Does Harvey work on imports, domestics, or both?

That could be. But with you it doesn't matter. Sort of like having a car that is so shitty you don't bother washing it or changing the oil.

Who were the two people above me? I have to know what my goals are.

Congrats! Can you please provide a list so we know where we stand.

I shower every morning. If I get a good amount of exercise or mow the lawn, I'll shower again. About 4-5 times a week I take an evening bath with my daughter. Got to scrub her, because she likes to play with her hair after eating. And some meals instantly require bathing her. See attached.

I disagree. I was saying you didn't need to be, so you wouldn't feel pressured. All skychicks welcome though!

Betsy, You are arranging the Naked Cross Country Pervert Load, aren't you? I'm not saying you need to be on it, but the load should definitely fly. Think "Large Plane".

There is no uniform "right" answer. In the last 15 years, I've gotten flu shots 3 times, when the Army made me. I ended up sick as a dog soon afterwards. In the last decade, no shots and no flu. If your immune system is really healthy, I don't think you need them and see little benefit. If you get sick with some regularity, then I'd say go for it.

Unions should be held accountable by a full and detailed accounting. If that is a big burden, then tough. If they are in a position where they are mandating salary deductions for employees at a company, they should have to account for where that money goes. Do you know how long a publicly-held company's financial reports are? The SEC alone requires a vast assortment of filings. If a company wants to be public, the public interest should be guarded by requiring them to honestly disclose the status of the company. Then investors can choose whether they want to buy shares or not. Obviously, there have been failings in that, but that doesn't mean the goal itself is bad. Why shouldn't a union be accountable to its members? If they aren't, isn't it just an unjust tax by a private entity?

Kevin, I didn't say they were completely obsolete, but their importance and benefit have both diminished. Is that difference really due to the union, or to the quality of the company as a whole? I wouldn't trust a union to watch my back at a company that didn't care about safety. I wouldn't work at a place like that, union or no union. At a good company, the union isn't necessary because the company itself is concerned for the welfare of the employees. That doesn't involve giving unreasonable salaries, or encouraging an attitude of accepted malingering through union interference. I think the marketplace will punish the bad companies, through retention problems, poor quality, low efficiency, low customer satisfaction and an inability to compete. The unions can only delay the inevitable. Rather than using the union as a crutch, why not just get a job at a better company? I don't hate unions. I just see them kind of like an appendix. It is a vestigal organ that hasn't completely gone away just in case it turns out that we've been going down the wrong evolutionary path. If it doesn't bother you, don't do anything, but if it gives the slightest bit of problem, just operate and remove it.

Kevin, Unions definitely had major benefits to our country. They brought workplace safety to light, along with all sorts of issues relating to our working environments. Exactly the things you mentioned. But now that those issues have been codified as laws, with recourse for violations, I think the unions have largely outlived their usefulness. However great unions were, like all political entities, after awhile the goal switches over to self-perpetuation. Workers at a well-run company don't need unions. Workers at a poorly-run company can use their union to attempt to help straighten a company out. But those situations aren't generally what you see. You see unions bogging companies down without any willingness to find the middleground that can help preserve the long-term viability of the company (and the jobs it creates) while planning a path toward better employee care (conditions or compensation).

I'd cross the picket line if I wanted to shop there. No question. The act of striking and picketing shows an infantile breakdown in communication on both sides, but honestly not one that should affect me. It isn't my business, and I resent the employees trying to make it my business. I don't care, I just want to buy my groceries. So they strike, here are some possible outcomes: 1) Striker's cave after awhile, and after hurting their own finances and those of the company. Customer service sucks during strike and you end up with disgruntled workers who have less enthusiams for customers than pre-strike. 2) Company caves after awhile. Workers get whatever it is they wanted. Company profits drop, so prices go up and/or workers get laid off. 3) After some period of time, they make a compromise. That is after giving sub-standard service to customers, hurting employees and damaging the company. In all three scenarios, the party guaranteed to get screwed is the customers. They are the people that support the entire business, so it shows a lack of comittment on both the employees and the management to carelessly throw away the customer relationship. I haven't seen a union cause in a long time worthy of striking. They are all about piddly selfish issues that will be addressed one way or another by a free-market economy. We aren't talking about sweatshops, or unsafe working conditions, or sexual harassment, or fraud, or anything really serious. Those issues are all covered by laws. The unions offer very little other than a meddlesome intrusion into the workings of the company. Those companies that cannot either eliminate their unions or establish a relationship where the union interests are aligned with the company's interests will simply fail. A stubborn union that isn't willing to compromise will drive the company out business as it becomes non-competitive with its peers. End result: unemployed workers and a defunct pension plan. Who wants a Pyrrhic victory?

That is so inefficient. Just get an IV and a catheter and you won't have to worry about aim or being coordinated enough to use the tap.

Congratulations Bill & Amy! Savor the day and remember the feeling always.

Better than DC's old mayor, Marion "Bitch set me up!" Barry. Now he was an ass.

When I say a thread about jelly, I wondered, "Strawberry, petroleum or KY?" I don't know whether to be relieved or disappointed. Preserves on a PBJ. Strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, or the like. No watery textureless jelly.

Amen, Brother Turtlespeed! You have seen the light and you will be walking on into the promised land!

Maybe some little piggies don't like roast beef.

How much bandwidth are you trying to push through? What sorts of complicating factors? (VPNs, etc.) What type of filtering are you looking to do at the firewall level? Can you push some of the work off on the router? What router(s) are you using? How much would be in your DMZ, vs. how much inside?

If the difference is $.50, would it break you if the jump ticket cost went up by that much, but was the same for cash or credit? When people pay cash and they don't have to spend the $.50 in processing fees, they could use the money to improve the dropzone in some way. That is as much value to me. Relines, repacks, closing loops, replacement canopies and such all add up. If they just skip them and pass the savings on, student jumps would be cheaper and more people would jump. Do you think that is a good idea? The point is, are they honest or not? Going back to what I said about contracts... What is the value of a signed contract? Where I work, it is everything. When I enlisted, it meant everything. When I sign a waiver, I take it seriously. If your employer decided not to pay their workers comp insurance bill and you get hurt, should you be screwed because they were trying to pass the savings on to you by paying you a little more instead of paying the bills? No. They have an obligation to fulfill. If they don't want to deal with credit cards according to the rules, there is a really simple answer: don't accept them. No conflict whatsoever. But they don't want to do that, because they want the benefits of them. Dave, the issue really isn't the $.50. If that difference is enough to keep people from jumping, they probably can't afford this sport. Just make one less jump a day if you are tight. The issue is how well the dropzone is run and how professionally they deal with their obligations. As much as I love skydiving and dropzones, a lot of them fall flat on their faces when it comes to business. There are exceptions, and they really stand out. From what I've seen, the successful DZs are also the ones willing to make the tough calls that are in their best long-term interest. For example, giving people jump tickets back and scrubbing a load when the weather dictates that, instead of going ahead anyway. Same idea with bringing down a load of jumpers and giving refunds. Safe operation is in everyone's best interest, and the short term financial benefit doesn't justify the risk. How did I get from a $.50 charge to jumper safety? Ethics and professionalism compared to laxity and greed. See why I'd rather people play straight with the rules even if the tickets are $.50 more?

The universe may be shaped like a soccer ball. Maybe not. I don't know. But it is damned sure held together with Skippy SuperChunk.