jfields

Mine doesn't require it, but I usually am anyway.

Yes. It is actually pretty funny when that happens.

Where did I say anything perverted? Huh? Huh? Where is YOUR mind, Ms. Sunshine? [Admiring Look][Applause] You da perv! [/Admiring Look][/Applause]

If you have enough energy to have nightmares and thrash around a lot, then your evening wasn't good enough.

Nope. I don't snore. And anything my wife says to the contrary is an irrelevant damned lie! Actually, I usually don't snore. I generally sleep on my stomach, in which case I'm fine. But if for some reason I get rolled onto my back, then, uh, I might be barely possible that I snore. Supposedly, I'm good at rolling back over on command. Take that one as you will...

Thanks, Mikki, HH. Kiss my ass, Slappie.

Yes, it is. It is equally stereotyping of me to question whether the homophobia that runs rampant in the military is a function of the job, or a function of the lower than average educational/intellectual levels. It could also be the economic imbalances that tend to be present in enlistees. Exposure to broader ideas than within the close-knit and regulated military family can bring more open-mindedness about sexuality. It isn't about whether people in the military are gay or not, but whether they can stretch their brains to comprehend that people's right to sexual freedoms (including freedom from harassment) are things they have sworn to defend. The fact that soldiers (sailors, etc) take that oath means they are held to a higher standard, not a lower one. At least that is how I saw it when I was in the military.

So you are 1 for 2, right?

The times when I pause to actually care, it is embarassing. Luckily, I assume that homosexuals know that all heterosexuals aren't like that. Outbursts of such blatant homophobia really make me wonder about the stability and nature of the individual's own sexuality. I don't necessarily mean in the gay/straight orientation issue, but in a successful/failure or clear/confused conflict. Perhaps if they were confident in their own sexuality, they wouldn't rely on heaping scorn on others to bolster their self-image. This is just a general comment, not related to any individual, of course.

Thanks for all the great feedback, folks! It seems like my suit will cost a small fortune, but if it fits right and does what I want, it will be worth it. Besides, I have to blow holiday bonus money on something, right?

It looks like I'm going to be ordering a new suit. I worked my way through most of the options with them on the phone. There are a few she couldn't help me with, so I'm asking you.... Inseam Grips... Good? Bad? Worth it or not? It is only $10, so if I may want them, I should do it now. I'm not going to be on any competitive teams or anything. Swoop Cords... They have two kinds. One is tie-in, and the other is a continuous one that runs from one hand, through the body, out to the other hand. Which do you folks have? Pros, cons, etc? I fall like a rock, so specific info from any other fastfallers would be great. Any other advice, other than to double-check all the measurements? Thanks!

I think that I'm evolved enough that my brain is the second most determining factor in what happens to me. The first is luck, over which I have no control. My use of my brain will get me into, out of, or help me avoid more troublesome situations than all other factors combined, save luck. With everything else in my power being so insignificant, I generally discount them completely. A properly functioning brain is a more potent means of self-preservation than a gun, martial art, or anything else. Before you rebut, yes, it is possible to have all of the above. I see the addition of the other factors as helping about like a fart would help the thrust of a flying 747. If you don't enjoy the activities themselves and find the expense worthwhile (which I personally don't), then there is no practical reason to do them. If you see my view as fatalistic, then so be it. I see my best tool for self-preservation as being one I was born with. Without a good brain, all the other tools are useless at best, dangerous at worst. Perhaps it is this belief that leads me to value the integrity of my consciousness. I won't do strong drugs or drink to the point of substantial impairment. It isn't any moral thing, but I don't like it when I can't think straight. ------------------------------------------------ Actually, I won't be at Eloy. Wish I was. I plan to be at Rantoul for 4-5 days next year. Jet or no jet, I don't care. I already have my transportation figured out and my jump money put aside.

I am a sheep. I may end up as a statistic. You are right. But then again, you are a sheep that may end up as a statistic as well. The only difference is that I am self-aware of my status as a sheep, rather than being in denial about it. (Holy shit, I hope Clay doesn't see that!) Honestly, that is all you really can do. You can prepare for this contingency, or that one, but only the tiniest fraction of possible events that you will face in life. We are not all-powerful. I don't believe anything (God) is either. So with that awareness, all one can do is savor the joys of life, hope the dice don't go against you, and move on. However, if someone had asked me when I was your age, I wouldn't have replied the same way. I'm hardly an old geezer, but age does grant some wisdom to those willing to accept it.

No. It is for when the brunettes finally get around to explaining it to them.

The thing is, after all that, I believe you are essentially no safer than I am. You have put incredible effort into it, but I still see little tangible benefit in respect to safety. You can still get hit by a drunk driver just like I can. You can still get shot by a whacko sniper just like I can. You can still get assaulted like I can. I see the situations where I know who the attacker will be, how they will attack me, and have no opportunity to simply flee the scene as being so rare as not to merit further consideration. If you do the activities (Tae Kwon Do, firing range, etc.) because you enjoy them, then great! That is benefit enough if you take pleasure in them. I just don't think they have a whole lot of practical value in ensuring safety. If the occurences that the training prevents are as rare as getting hit by lightning (hyperbole, not statistic), why bother? I'm not worried about either. I'm not going to stop walking outside because I may get hit by lightning. If a bad situation can't be avoided by common sense, all the training won't help much. Luck has much more to do with it than anything else. If it all boils down to luck anyway, I'm not going to worry about it, and I'm sure not going to spend my life toiling away to reduce the already negligable danger. I'm too easygoing to bother. We choose different options. It's all good.

A new job and you can maintain your proximity to the barnyard? Man, you have it made!

A beer would be great. Then I could give you shit in person. Yeah, SpeedRacer lives fairly near there. I'm about 30-45 minutes away, I think. Not too bad. When you move, send me a PM with the info.

Touche!

It is here too. He just wasn't telling you that.

Oh, hell! That is disturbingly close to where I live. I think you'll be very disapointed with the Washington/Baltimore area. Not many sheep! And by the way, you can start your pronunciation training now.. Baltimore = Boll-IMM-er There is no t, and the second syllable has the emphasis. Just being helpful. Of course, it doesn't matter how you say it. You still won't fit in.

Sorry to hear that, Dave. I'm glad you are here to talk about it. From there, what to do becomes a philosophical issue. That is where we fundamentally diverge. The two contrasting paths are: 1) Become better armed and better trained, so that you can outfight your opponent. 2) Refute the culture of violence, by personal action, and maybe even teach others why it isn't the answer. The first scenario leads to escalation, as the only safety is through absolute supremacy. It is an arms race, between individuals instead of a between nations. I see it as both financially and morally bankrupting the participants. The second scenario is much more difficult. In my opinion, it requires more courage. Rather than walking among armed violent masses while being prepared to kill, it requires walking among them prepared to trust. I'm not talking about any Judeo-Christian religious slant, or about forgiveness. I'm just looking at the fundamental desire to live in a peaceful, prosperous world. It begins one person at a time. I'm nowhere near the first, nor do I have any wish to be famous. But by walking in the footsteps of people like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ghandi, I can set an example for my child. There will be no violence welcome in my home, nor will I promote it when I walk among strangers. On a more pragmatic note, call me cynical, but I see the "safety" gained by arming myself as being so incredibly minute that the effort required is ridiculously out of proportion with the benefit. I will not pay for an illusion of safety at the expense of things with real benefit. I will never prioritize the cost of a weapon or firearm training higher than something like taking my daughter to the beach or taking my wife out for our anniversary. Those actions have tangible results immediately. The benefits from them are no illusion. (I'm not trying to stir up the previous debate, but an interesting tangent from it is why we are the way we are.)

Exactly! Too bad we are talking about each other.

Whatever you'd like. Ask.

It is a good place to be. Really! But if you want to postwhore some more and get on top of me, that is fine too!