Andrewwhyte

GOP backroom guy Ed Rawlins hit the nail on the head when he said (roughly) "The US congress is an accurate mirror of the American public; the same percentage of them are geniuses, and the same percentage of them are morons." I can't find my copy of his book but that was the gist of it.

Like changing a flight due to weather?

Iraq has nothing to do with anyone watching anyone else's back. The war in Afghanistan was necessary because US got sucker-punched; the war in Iraq was because US was in a bad mood and wanted to hurt someone.

The article talks about immigration fingerprinting detainees routinely. They don't just mean people they catch in the desert or on the riverside; I was fingerprinted earlier this year by US immigration officials while still at the airport in Toronto. Anyone selected for additional screening is now required to give fingerprints (soon to be DNA samples, I guess). My crime was that my flight was cancelled due to a snow storm so I did not have a paper copy of my paperless ticket for my replacement flight.

It happened before my time so I can't really say. I just know that the guy whose tent it was is still whining about it.

So, what does TK stand for? Walt Tent killer.

When you do get your license, leave the RSL on just the same.

Are you sure there is no RSL? CSPA BSR 2.10: ***All students shall use container systems fitted with a reserve static line (RSL) to back up the activation of the reserve following release from the main canopy. ... The OP said he has graduated to solo status; a student is anyone who has not been issued a solo certificate.

Just in the nick of time; the banned ones can no longer even read the forums.

Who? the goat or Clay?

Why did they flee? Persecution of intellectuals by religious leaders. You are correct John. That was my point.

Ross I don't think you should be jumping with tandems; you don't have enough experience. Since you are anyway I think jumping with a video guy to analyze you is probably good. I will not say I have never let anyone with your experience jump with me because I have, on very exceptional circumstances. I don't think the TM should have let his student's boyfriend jump with them; he doesn't have the experience and the TM didn't have any confidence in his abilities. However I have made similar poor calls in my career. This is where the TM and myself cease to be fellow travelers. To allow a junior on the jump "against my better judgment" is one thing, to allow two of them is just reckless. To allow three of them on the same jump is beyond stupid. You should have been kicked off this jump as soon as any lurker (adequately experienced or not) was introduced. To allow the boyfriend's inexperienced buddy was just dumb. To allow both of you- inexcusable.

This doesn't surprise me in the least. After the 1979 revolution the intelligentsia fled Iran in large numbers. That they and their children would continue to value education and so earn above average incomes is only natural.

I don't know if age has much to do with it. Some may lose their belief at an early age but still end up with clinical depression because of it. Though I think it's debatable whether lack/loss of belief is what truly causes the depression. I think the depression brought on by the loss of faith is similar to the hopelessness of natives who lose their way of life. The shocking death rate in London due to alcohol during the period of the enclosures is a similar case of people losing their cultural identity. Old communists in Russia and eastern Europe would have similar psychological issues, as would Baltimore Colts fans on a more trivial scale. The longer such a system of identification is ingrained in someone the more traumatic the separation will be. With the example of native North Americans there is evidence to suggest it can last many generations. Richard Dawkins refers to religion as a virus being passed from parent to children. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skEJ008jjY8&NR=1

Remember, if you are in a wrap you are by definition below canopy height. Although an RSL may kill you in that situation the chance of in air rigging solutions proving fatal is at least as high. You make your decision as to whether or not you will have an RSL and then you go skydiving. Fucking around with your gear when you need to be opening your reserve has killed way more jumpers over the years than RSLs have. I don't know where this rumour came from that the guy in the vid undid his rsl before he chopped, but I would like to hear it from him or someone who he directly told. I have my doubts.

What do Arabs have to do with this situation in Afghanistan?

Speaking of javelins http://www.vidmax.com/index.php/videos/view/2714

Don't know. I am not the operator.

The wing-tip extensions increase the gross weight to the point that Transport is OK with it.

Because Transport Canada has approved the extra seat belt location.

I believe Beiseker Alberta has a 182 with an injected 550; I have not heard of a turbo STC on the 182. That aircraft goes to altitude with 5 passengers fast enough that I don't see how a turbo could be economical without the sixth passenger available in the 206.

I think there is an all or nothing fallacy often invoked during this discussion's continuous iterations. If a national health-care scheme were to be implemented in the US the private sector would not be entirely (or even mostly) crowded out. Countries that have public universal health care such as UK and Canada still have large presences by the pharmaceuticals; they have private companies hawking tools, potions and information. Most, if not all western countries other than US have some sort of public private mixture of services including insurance. Blue Cross sells health insurance for things not covered by our provincial health care. The United States spends more per capita on health care as a portion of GNP than any other nation. if this spending is to some degree or other socialized it will probably remain that way, but all the money showing up on your tax bill will not be new money. I think the insurance industry will have the most to lose as that portion of your paycheck deduction will shrink. As to whether you will get better or worse health care, the answer is -it depends. As a professional skydiver I have health care coverage here in Canada I would not be able to afford if I lived in US. If you are a professional or belong to a large union, you probably have better access to health care in US. Most procedures are heavily rationed here and many people do opt to cross the border and pay for things like MRIs. That said no one in Canada sells their house to pay for a loved one's illness.

I also remove my ear plugs before I jump. Although it is loud in freefall remember that the plane ride is ten to twenty times as long as the freefall.

Superbowl- Palo Alto- 1985 We were lined up for the john before the game. When the national anthem came on our patience ran out as none of us in line wanted to miss the opening kick off. Those people by the sinks used them. Those of us by the edge of the stadium simply pissed over the edge. For those of you who have never been to Stanford Stadium it is a natural bowl so pissing over the edge is about an eight foot drop and within plain sight of the late comers walking up to their seats. What was the icing on the cake was all the Americans among us who were singing the anthem as they pissed over the side.