jfields

Chris, I agree that lying is wrong. But if we are looking at it as far as presidents go, as I replied to Ron, isn't it looking like Bush lied about the whole WMD thing? If we see that they both lied, we can agree that they were both wrong, but doesn't the subject about which they were lying have some importance?

I'm not condoning Clintons lies in any way. But the problem with your analysis is that Bush has done bad things last week, last month and last year. So it isn't all old history to be brushed away. It is current and relevant to the way our country is being run. Leaving racism and biggotry aside, the general republican stance has been pretty pro-war, despite the ever-more ominous lack of evidence substantiating the reasons we were told. Are the things Bush told the American people perjury too? If not, it is getting close. I don't like liars in either party, but given both, I'd rather have one lie about where is penis has or hasn't been, than about justifications for a war that actually happens and costs hundreds of American lives in addition to dramatically damaging our national credibility.

I talked to the folks at Evolution, and I was told that the entire team would be unavailable when I'll be in California. So I'm not sure how Elsinore will help over Perris. That and I'll be without a car. I'd still be willing to spend a day at Elsinore. All I'd need is a ride round trip from Perris. Volunteering?

If you ammend it to read "some Republicans are racist", I think the rest pretty much stands true.

If you know your financial situation and can handle things, that works. You need to take my money for some canopy training at Raeford sometime, since the wusses at Perris will all be unavailable when I'm going out there this month!

Yes and vaguely yes. I also remember the Marines at Lejeune (I think) that beat the hell out of a gay guy, who ended up dead. I think part of the problem is doing away with the "wink and nod" acceptance of homophobic gay-bashing that permeates the military. When an entire chain of command goes down with jail time and dishonorable discharges, people will start paying attention. Along with the waiving of some personal freedoms you mention, there is also the reciprocal increase in both accountability and expectations. Whether they like gays or not, people in the military should have the discipline not to act out. I'm not saying they have to like gays, as it is their right not to. They just have to obey the rules and do their duty.

But you were talking about Clinton. Shifting towards a random Democrat as a negative example is useless. Democrats could all point at Trent Lott, for example. Stick to the people in question. History also showed that there were problems letting blacks and women serve. Problems need solutions, not a codification of the problem to justify it. Agreed on that one.

I've been wondering about skydivers and debt, so I figured I'd start a specific thread on it. It seems like skydivers are less financially responible than average. That isn't based on numbers, but just the feel of the forums. I've seen people complaining about debt a fair amount. I have also seen people mention they were thinking about buying a rig beyond their means get told, "You only live once. Charge it." [somewhat off-topic] One person in particular comes to mind. The person basically came on the boards begging for money for rent, which people chipped in. Later, it came out that they had a number of high-dollar luxury items that they weren't willing to part with, preferring to ask others to cover their shortfall. Usually, people's finances are their own business, but the grovelling was a bit much for me. [/somewhat off-topic] Anyway, do you carry a large amount of revolving consumer debt? (Credit cards & store accounts, not things like mortgages.) Are you a "pay the minimum monthly" person or a "pay it in full each month" person, or somewhere in between? Is skydiving something you shouldn't really be able to afford, and you do it anyway? I know that I started jumping at almost age 30, so I have a more established job than those in their late teens and early 20s. I couldn't have really afforded to jump when I was that age. I'm just curious about how we stand with our debt load, compared to the average whuffo.

I'm not ruining the dream! I just committed to $900. And I figure pledging twice the requirement ought to entitle me to one of the officer's berths, instead of the enlisted sardine boxes.

I'll put in my $450 toward the purchase plus covering yours if you are willing to cover the fuel and maintenance.

I guess since I went to a private school at the time, no, they didn't do that. Maybe we were all smart. No, I suppose that couldn't be it!

Since we are only talking about a max of 2400 feet, according to Erno, why don't we say they'll turn points the whole way up, then continue on the way back down until they have a big-way cypres fire.

And I never understood this insult, anyway. We make fun of them just because they were smart enough to eat things that prevented scurvey?

So, what speed does the aircraft carrier need to travel to give sufficient separation for students? And what size big-way can you fit on the catapult at once?

Forest Gump? Skreamer, he is more like a freaking Muppet. Someone out of sight is there pulling the strings and making his mouth seem to move and spout someone else's words. His ignorance and willingness to act like a dictator scare me.

I bought 2 gallons of honey at the Flying Barrel a couple weeks ago. One gallon of clover and one of orange blossom. I was going to do something (fruit, spiced or with maple syrup) with the clover and do the orange blossom straight. Another idea I have is getting some smaller (3 gallon?) containers, so I can split batches into two somewhere in the fermentation process and get two kinds going. When I was at the brew store, the guy who owns the apiary and teaches their mead class was there. I picked his brain while I had the opportunity, since it is hard for me to get there for classes or B.O.P. on a regular basis. There is a good amount of info at gotmead.com. One thing I've read is that a lot of people start the primary fermentation with Wyeast liquid mead yeasts, then after it seems to stop, they hit it with a fresh yeast starter from dry champaign yeast.

I called down there, and they are twist-offs. So it isn't worth the trip for me just to get some cheap but good beer. If it had been cheap good beer in reusable bottles, then I'd have picked up a good number of cases. Ah, well....

SpeedRacer, That is a very intriguing idea. Are they good amber reusable bottles? And is the beer any good? Justin

I'd even take California over Texas. Considering the whackos that live there *cough*Sebazz*cough*, that is saying something. In talking about the weather, you are omitting the issue of the heat, perhaps because the neurons have all melted already.

Blah, blah, blah. Right. Next thing you are going to tell me is that your governors make good presidents or something equally farfetched. Actually, I'll be at home with the 20 gallons of beer I've brewed, making another 10. I'll be too busy drinking beer and playing with my daughter to possibly think about all the numerous inferior states.

Hello. You are surrounded by a pool. All you need to do is make sure you leave a ladder down so people can climb back in.

No. It was when he tried to get "Princess Leah on a chain" in his contract that they decided they couldn't afford him.

Ah. Maybe I'm thinking of what it was before it moved to Andyman's. Whoops.

Whatever. Bring it on. So Texas is bigger, has more cactus and more illegal border crossings? You think that makes you better? HUH? Well, you aren't. Get over it! I did say at the outset of the thread that the weather was making me bitter and grumpy.

I hear that helps with tracking dives.