pirana

I worked in a plant in Chicago where employees were represented by the Boilermakers. As a new employee, you became a Boilermaker, like it or not. Absolutely everything was done by seniority. Job opening were posted, and were given to the most senior person to apply, regardless of skill or experience. All you had to do was go to the seniority list posted in the cafeteria and see if you were the most senior person below the grade posted. If you were, the job was yours. No interviews, no assessment. And getting rid of dead weight. Forget it. You had to be incredibly pathetically bad before you could be gotten rid of - which was about a 2-year process for anything short of theft. It was shameful some of the lazy slugs they protected. The union approach was that all employees were equally worthy in all ways, save their hire date. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

What do we got left now, a mere 13 months? I was thinking of where he will fall in history. He is not as sinister as Nixon was, but definitely imposes his own personal and at least slightly evil agenda. He is easily confused and almost as uninformed as Reagan was, but that would be tough to top since Reagan had Alzheimer's driven dementia. But the combination, along with his inability to publicly express himself in the manner of an educated person, just might make him the worst of the lot. Pity too, because his adoption of Texas as his home state, along with his down-home type approach and verbal style really could have charmed America and won him a lot more support. But shit hit the fan, and he was forced to actually try to act like a president, what with having to make decisions and communicate intelligently. This did not play to his strong suits, and he was exposed for the dufus he is. He tried to do the next best thing and defer to experts. Unfortunately he had surrounded himself with some very narrow minded and self-serving experts. So what will his legacy be? I say he will be seen by historians as the man who somehow managed to build the unlikeliest of coalitions - putting together the ends of the financial and social spectrum, in a supreme and highly successful effort to marginalize the great middle and impose his personal agenda on them. By the time they woke up and smelled the coffee - it was too late. But maybe my cry of incompetency is all wrong. From a different perspective, he and his friends have made a LOT of money by manipulating information and public perception. They have been master propogandists, easily the best since Reagan. Maybe he is proof that it is possible to be publicly incompetent but privately and personally successful. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

What must they think? We (as a group - not me personally) elected an absolute bozo. He pulled it off at first with false bravado and some good old-fashioned breat-beating patriotism. But it must be nearly impossible even for his supporters to continue to take him very seriously. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

The UAW has become a predatory organization. Somehow, they do not get that driving jobs overseas does not help their membership. Either that, or they do not care. Collect the maximum amount of dues the membership will tolerate, negotiate contracts that are so obviously long-term destructive, lobby heavily for protective financial measures against imports; fabulous tactics. You'd think they's be ashamed of what they have wrought, but their prideful ignorance is as self-blinding as it is disgusting. Will they ever realize that their tactics are more destructive than constructive. I can just see them when the last of the plants in which they "represent" workers closes; sitting around a meeting room scratching their heads and asking what went wrong. (Or maybe they'll actually be on a beach laughing at the gullibility of the wage slaves that trusted them to protect their means of livelihood). " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Haven't lived there for quite some time, but the one thing I would urge is that if you are downtown at any point during your trip; stop in at Gino's East for pizza. Best in the world. It's worth a trip downtown in itself. So are the Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, Art Institute, Oriental Institute, and Field Museum. Where to live is a matter of taste & style. The thing about suburbs is that they are so homogenous, they give very little hint at where you actually are. Every big city's suburbs are just like every other big city's suburbs. Some people like the sameness and predictability. I've always felt that when you visit a place, if you want to get to know it, then either head for the heart of the city or head for the boonies. The stuff in between is a cookie cutter landscape of fast food, strip malls, and bedroom communities. Dropped off in downtown NY, Chitown, SF, etc I would know where I was. Dropped off in the suburbs, you would not be able to tell. I guess either way is OK, just depends on what you like. Anyway, if you live there, (and if your job affords it), it is a surprisingly liveable city; with the downtown area and some of the close in neighborhoods holding a lot of fun potential. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

More well said. It's the old give them a fish or teach them how to fish deal. If someone is starving, certainly handing them a fish is the humane, compassionate, and right thing to do (IMO). But if along with that you have not taught them to fish, then you've done nothing to solve the root cause. For those that are accepting the fish, but resisting the teaching, FUCK 'EM. If after a couple assists, a person is able but not willing to improve their lot, then they have made their choice. BTW, the rich do give away and donate pretty good chunks of change already. One thing you'll notice about most donations by the rich though is that they are tied, directly or indirectly, to efforts to actually exact long term remedies. Usually, the money must be used to effect meaningful change to behaviors or processes - not just pay the monthly bills. When I was involved in writing for donations, grants, etc for a non-profit educational organization every single potential donor we solicited specified this; that we used the funds for development or expansion of programs, not to pay the electric bill or feed the kids. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Don't do this, it is a dangerous habit to get into. Yes you need to confirm that the canopy has opened properly but if you spend the entire opening looking up you won't see the canopy collision you are just about to have. Also, that is also a very bad position for your head and neck during opening shock (if you get an opening shock). Other than that, I just echo the earlier comment that it is hard to believe you want a Saber to open faster. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Nope inflation would increase dramaticly and would push the merginal down eaven farther. and If the reach gave it away they would have it back in less then 5 years. It has beed showen 80% of lotery winners are bankrupt in 5 years or less there is a reason the rich are rich. Yep, the decrease in total savings would be bad. Less money to lend, interest rates up, inflation up. No good. And on that lottery winners being losers; I think the correct timeframe is 2 years, not 5. I saw a 60 Minutes show once where they had a guy who had won multi-millions TWICE - and he was broke. Most people who do not manage large amounts of money have, well . . . no ability to manage large amounts of money. It is the difference between the proles and the merchant & entreprenuerial classes. Proles imagine getting a big chunk of money and immediately think of how they will spend it. It's like they have a wish list in their brain and already have planned what neat laundry list of consumables they will buy when they win. People who have money, or who have managed big chunks of it think first of how they will invest, preserve, and grow the money. It is a difference in mindset that is not easily changed. A paycheck-to-paycheck mentality is not changed overnight by a windfall. It may temporarily eliminate the need for a paycheck, but if it doesn't change the mindset (which it usually doesn't) the person will eventaully find themselves back in the paycheck-to-paycheck behavior. How many others have seen this personal and up close? Had an aquaintance in college that got a $60K persinal injury windfall. Not a fortune, but you'd think he would have had something to show for it by the end of that summer. Nada, nothing, zip, zero. By fall he was begging to get his pizza delivery job back. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

A couple writers from one of the reality shows (IIRC it was Trading Places) were so disgusted in how scripted the show was that they quit. An expose followed, with confirmed details of the players being heavily coached on what to do and say. But TV viewers seem to love this crap so much that they ignored the whole scandal. To them the scandal was that someone would dare to tell the truth and ruin their most cherished form of vicarious entertainment. TV has taken over religion as the opiate of the huddled masses. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

"The most talked about reality show of the season." Roughly akin to being the least smelliest shit in the stool. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Good fun. And now that I have my new booties, I can't wait for the next one. At 6'2" and 190 (lots of body area for weight) I'm already a very good tracker. If the first few RW jumps, and resultant tracking, are any indication, I am going to really zip along. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Possibly the naive ideology of a novice, but it just seems right to me you help out when someone cuts away. Students excepted, if you are the closest to a cutaway, even if the owner is already following it, you follow it with them. Just in case they lose track of it, or maybe you get the bag and they get the canopy, or just to accompany someone who is landing off AND chasing gear. Slightly off-topic; but I did this once and the person saw I was also following. So they turned and ran for the DZ! Bastard! " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

MANAGEMENT is responsible for running companies. Blaming unions is a cop-out excuse for poor management. The issues are interwoven. The auto unions have for decades squeezed an incredibly expensive and totally unreasonable benefit set out of the automakers. They got away with it only because it is so extremely expensive to move a centrally located heavy industry. But of course as the automakers were eventually able to respond, and manage their business based on the market pressures, then the very same unions bitched about the companies moving and the loss of jobs. The unions have been slowly working for decades towards pricing their membership right out of jobs and did not have the vision to see it coming. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Those things are actuallly not big issues. They contribute very little to the rising cost of care. The big hitters these days are more like: Expensive drugs Extraordinary measures, especially at the end of life Utilization (frequency of care) Unmanaged chronic conditions " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Right on the money, BINGO, all all of that. Any employer worth their salt in understanding health care costs, and certainly the insurance companies, have had this nailed for quite a while. It is why any decent plan now pays 100% for most preventive care, check-ups, vaccinations, certain routine screenings and the like (not subject to any out-of-pocket). Also the trend is toward free or very reduced co-pays for generic drugs (also not subject to OOP). Another tidbit: Managing chronic conditions has moved much nearer to the forefront. Even properly managed, a chronic but lesser condition like asthma can cost more than an organ transplant, over the life of the patient. Unmanaged, the more serious chronic conditions almost always cost more than many of the things we typically think of as the most expensive. Required enrollment in programs to manage chronic conditions as an incentive towards reducing premiums is growing and will eventually become an industry of it's own. Never mind that people should do it just as a matter of good health - but price pressures are going to force the issue. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Health care is still largely regulated at the state level, and in most states, your assertions are just plain wrong. I work in the biz in MN, which is very typical in its regulation of the biz, maybe slightly more liberal than some in a few areas. You can not be dropped from any plan, employer sponsored or otherwise, for claims history. The exception is if you have a contract with a dollar maximum (they are typically 1 to 5 million, most are now 2 million or have had the cap removed entirely). On the changing employers issue, the larger the employer the less chance they will even take a health history questionaire prior to coverage. Most over 500 do not use them at all. Even for Small Group (typically defined as 2 to 49 eligible employees) the transition is away from underwriting individuals. Most states have guaranteed issue products, with incentives for employers to use them instead of health underwritten products. The mid-size pools (50 to 500) are where there is the least consistency and greatest confusion as far as what is happening now and what to do about it. "The same is not true of individual policies." This is confusing. If you have an individual policy, changes of employer or employment status are irrelevant. And the last statement is absolutely, positively, unequivocally false. (I was really aching for a chance to use my tryperbolic of the day). At least in most states, you can not be dropped for claims experience (other than the previously mentioned issue of exceeding the lifetime maximum of the contract). Some of this stuff is true for auto insurance. Health care insurance is regulated from an entirely different mindset. And again, there are still a small number of states that have a few archaic and/or draconian rules hanging on - but they are by far the exception. FYI - the larger the group, the more say the employer has in every last detail of the plan. Most over 500 are now self-insured. That means the insurance company is not the decision maker, but only administering the plan the employer has designed. Right down to an appeal for a specific denied claim - your employer is actually making the call. Most employers do not want their employees to know this and they hide behind the insurance company. They must figure the admin fees are worth having someone else take the heat, but I find it amusing when they start a legal action against the insurance compnay, only to find out via initial discovery processes that their own HR department made the call. It is a much more complicated business than it appears on the surface, mostly because of decades of legislative favor-trading and well-intentioned but uninformed regulators. There are some good common-sense ideas, both conceptual and specific, that would go a long way to fixing things (as in improving access and affordability). You can count on our current legislative process to miss the boat entirely on finding them. But Hillary will change all that, right? " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

You forgot the obligatory THINK OF THE CHILDREN. But seriously, I have compassion, but do not want to pay more than my current 45% tax rate. We need some minimum reasonable level of health care for everyone, with incentives for healthy living, tight controls on fraud and abuse, and caps on administrative expenses. We need a program that does not require more taxes. Work with what we have. If it is not enough, cut some fat elsewhere. Additional taxes are not tolerable. If I have to pay much more, I will start losing incentive to be productive. Might as well drop off the grid, become a packer, jump when I can and say FTW. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

But seriously, sounds like you had a run of bad luck, or ran with some not so cordial folks. My experiences have been all good. A few words on rare occasions, but hell - we're dealing with Those Darn Humans. I can not imagine people at my home DZ being that way. Our retired or non-jumping friends are as welcome as any jumper. Just out of curiosity, when you were not jumping, did you go out there anyway, at least occasionally. You didn't expect them all to come to you did you? After all, there is one of you and many of them. When I had my surgery, I went out weekly anyway; play cards, have a beer, shoot the breeze. I love that place. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Maybe, if it rains, . . . maybe. And if there's nothing good on TV. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Maybe we need pie rules, similar to beer rules. On your multiple pie-ing; my interpretation of the rules (if they existed) would be that all pies delivered within the same calendar day, or within a continuous 24 hour period, whichever allows for the longest pie-ing, are considered to be a single pie-ing episode. One of you legal types want to review that for me? " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

No, but I watched a guy who was not current fight a nasty spin on his back just a couple weeks ago. Had never seen that up close. It was an 8-way and he slid under on exit and went right into it at a pretty good rate of spin. I felt kinda bad cause I was rear float and it was my job to "anchor" him, but he was big, catching a lot of wind at a bad angle, and was going to take me with - so I dropped the grip. Kinda weird because everybody backed off and was in a circle watching him spin like mad for probably about 1500' to 2000'. Just as I was wondering if one of the veterans on the jump was gonna do something, he finally got flipped over. You could see he was fighting it the way you would on the ground, trying to roll over by turning his shoulders relative to his hips; which just made his body propeller shaped and spun him even faster. It was amazing how huge his eyes were until he recovered. He did come back over the next few days to get current and had some good jumps - but YIKES! That was wild looking. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Nice post; and GREAT signature line. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

You are aware that was all faked, right? " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

I've often wondered about that. Is it a tough go to do business as a big grocerty store in the inner city? Even it the relatively mundane metroplois of The Twin Cities, there is definitely a shortage of big grocers as you move inward from the middle suburbs. In the outer rings they are everywhere, so many I don't know how they all make it. In the middle suburbs they are around, but not as plentiful and a bit smaller typically. Once you get to the inner ring the difference is really noticeable. Maybe we have cause and effect mixed up. Maybe the inner city is so much more likely to be poor because they have to spend $5.50 for a gallon of milk at the local hallway of a market. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

That was just to placate the huddled masses. " . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley