ChasingBlueSky

Yes, anecdotal evidence aside, I think Kerry could really screw up the economy. The fact is, it is screwed up already. Bush had his chance and didn't do much to create jobs. Tax cuts? Whatever, I think I saw a $100 check...spread out over four years that doesn't add up to the money I lost while unemployed. The tax cuts are not opening up good paying jobs either. The lower and middle class are collectivly in a worse spot financially then they were in the past few years..... And there will be even more unemployed people with the large amount of people leaving the military due to Bush. I think I heard that enlistment was down 12%, with the Air Force being the only exception. There is one or two signs that the economy might be improving, but there are more signs to prove that it isn't in full recovery and won't be any time soon. The tradional means that Bush has taken have failed. We need another person with a differnent take. Someone that will pay more attention to the working class instead of the business class. btw - the second graph shows a quick increase during the war, which is typical. But once reality set in as of Jan you can see that it has gone back down. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

And cut benefits, and support for their family. Guess that is leadership. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

I don't think it really has far to crash, does it? We're not in a depression or recession. Unemployment isn't too bad. Do you really believe that? I spend most of my day talking to unemployed people. The workforce program is running out of money to retrain displaced people in this city and Chicago has maintained close to a 7% unemployment rate since 2002. As of June (the last numbers available to me) that is 267,161 which was on a rise from previous months. I'm sure all of those people would tend to argue with you. The textile and manufacturing industries haven't improved...and probably won't due to the tax breaks given to companies by taking their jobs offshore. .50cents an hour is more attractive to them then $12.50 an hour. 200,000 IT jobs are gone for good to overseas workers as long as the tax breaks stick around. Baghdad Bush may claim that 1 million jobs have been created, but 2.7 total have been lost while he has been in office. He is still in the hole there. He has given us the largest deficit ever, and he has made social security even worse despite his campaign promise to fix it. Also, what stat GW doesn't proudly talk about is that the average salary of those 1 million new jobs is below what they were making at their previous jobs. The main companies that have grown from Bush are those that support the war and get contracts from the DOD. But even those seem to go to the select few that are somehow connected to Bush. What do I hope the annoying conservatives do? Harri kerry? _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

See...I've heard that excuse from someone. Then I've heard the divorced person say they need to sleep around first before they get into a relationship...with no regards to the feelings of the person they were currently with. Apparently that is some right of passage a divorced person needs, claims they need, or are really that selfish. Once again putting sex above the individual. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

Doubt it, but I am willing to put my vote on it. Besides with the nasty long list of screwups that Bush has, I'll give anyone a chance to show him how much he screwed up. No second chance. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

Some of us do that, and still get dumped for the cheating asshole. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

What about funny looking? At least you know you would laugh when you look at him. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

*Runs to garage, gets in car, heads to Ottawa* Awesome article!! Sorry Kramer....she is out on the west coast _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

Now see Bill. You are gonna confuse them getting logical like that. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

And there was never a republican like that? Remember Time Magazines "MEN OF THE YEAR?" DO you remember who that was? Yup, Bush Sr. If you want to boil it down to school yard labels? Would I take a flip flop over a war monger? Yup. Anyday. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

You mean everyone on this forum was single for a while until they got involved in a relationship? Is there a possibility that a married person meets someone, falls in love, gets divorced and moves on with that new relationship? Just wondering. Flame away

Better yet, why would someone want to date one? Let's see, they break a sacred promise to their partner....I'm suuuure they are going to treat another piece of meat, I mean, person, that much better. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

http://www.blacktable.com/householder040930.htm 18,000 FEET AND RISING: MISSY NELSON, SKYDIVER. By Leigh Householder 09.30.04 Thousands of adventurers have come to know the Nelson family (Roger, his son Rook and his daughter Missy) strapped to one of them and standing in an airplane's open doorway. The Nelsons are ready to leap at 18,000 feet; you've got to be ready, too. Nervous students at Skydive Chicago may be calmed by these facts: No one has ever died or even been seriously injured while tandem jumping at Skydive Chicago. And its founder, Roger Nelson, trusted his teaching technique so much that his daughter made her first jump at age 5. Age 5! That's Missy. She's been climbing mountains, skydiving and hang-gliding since most of us were considering coloring, cutting and/or pasting. And, at 27, she's an accomplished skydiver with several gold medals and world records to her name. Roger Nelson died in a skydiving accident in June 2003. After his death, Missy and Rook took over management of Skydive Chicago and have dealt with countless media stories and innuendo about their lives, their business and their father. The Black Table caught up with Missy recently to find out just how life is lived careening towards earth. BT: You've won multiple freestyle skydiving gold medals from the United States Parachute Association. What's your best trick? MN: Most people do not understand freestyle in terms of skydiving. Freestyle is best described as gymnastics without a floorboard -- a performer and a videographer are team. A team is judged on aesthetic presentation, execution of moves and difficulty. The videographer is judged on their presentation: Was the performer in frame and up close? My favorite move is a called a "Reverse Eagle With Tricks." This is a three-dimensional move around the camera flyer while performing twists and other flare on an oval axis. BT: You've had a few unintentional tricks, too - like the cutaways when your main parachute didn't open correctly. Now we won't ask about soiling panties, but how did you keep your wits about you? MN: I actually have [had] 11 instances where my main parachute didn't work, but I have over 5,000 jumps and also jump a high performance parachute. Of 30,000-plus skydivers in the entire world, less than 20 percent jump these types of canopies. You HAVE to be an expert for any manufacturer to sell you the type of parachute I jump. I never 'soiled' myself or ever thought, "Oh my goodness, I'm going to die!" The first time I ever had to use my reserve (backup) parachute, I only had 53 jumps, and the last time was about jump number 4,800. I had the same mindset: cool and calm. I just did my thing, landed and then searched for my main parachute. Since you "cutaway" your malfunctioning parachute, it literally detaches itself from you and floats away until it lands on the ground. Main canopies can cost up to $2,000, so it's important that you go find them after you land safely. BT: You've participated in a lot of world record attempts. Which was your most personal accomplishment? MN: My most personal world record is the one I organized. We completed an all-Women Vertical 16-Way World Record; this is where 16 ladies from around the world came to build a vertical formation by linking hands. Most people are familiar with flying belly to earth; well, we flew this formation on our heads. It's a dream come true when an idea you have materializes in the most amazing fashion. My dad and brother have organized their own successful world records, so I also get to go down in the history books as a successful World Record Organizer with my family. BT: Your drop zone, Skydive Chicago, has been heralded as one of the best in the world for training and innovation, but also attacked in the press for its relatively high accident rate. [According to the Chicago Tribune, 15 people have died at Skydive Chicago since it opened in 1993, twice the national average. In the last 11 years, there have been a total of 364 skydiving fatalities nationwide.] Where do you draw the line between innovation and safety? MN: Skydive Chicago IS the best place to learn how to skydive. We have the most modern and state-of-the-art student program, equipment, facilities and staff. Ninety-nine percent of skydiving centers cannot claim that. Every person who's ever visited Skydive Chicago from any other skydiving center will agree. Any successful business that is willing to put itself out into the mainstream public is always up for criticism. And since skydiving isn't a mainstream product, many people are quick to jump the gun and criticize us, but they really don't understand it. It does seem like a high number of deaths at Skydive Chicago, and it's truly unfortunate. But let's take a look at a few points here… 1. Ninety percent of the fatalities at Skydive Chicago were people who did NOT learn from us. This does NOT mean we blame their training or trainer. They were mostly experienced jumpers. When I say experienced, that means they were approved by our national organization's criteria to be a member and licensed from other skydiving centers who did not respect the dangers of skydiving and attempted extreme maneuvers not approved by one of our staff and that cost them their lives. 2. [A few people] were attempting world records. When you participate in a world record, you are inviting things to go wrong. If taken seriously and cautiously, they can be done safely. Unfortunately, we had to see the dangerous side of it here at home. 3. [A few others] just made a simple bad decision. Instead of dealing with a problem right away, as most every training center will emphasize, they waited too long to fix the issue. You need to be quick and aware when things go wrong, because it just happens fast. 4. [Another small percentage] were just not being aware. You have to be aware especially at Skydive Chicago since we [have] many jumps. That means there are several others in the air with you at the same time. If you're not paying attention, other canopies can collide right with you. 5. One of the deaths was one of those freak accidents. [Freak accidents] can happen by walking down a street, and a driver loses control and hits you. It just happens. It seems like a high number because we are a high-profile skydiving center and boast the third largest number of jumps in the world. That's a significant number, considering we are closed during the winter months. But that's a statistic for things to happen. BT: Statistics are compelling, but what's your real take on the accidents, as someone who has been involved with running the DZ? MN: The public doesn't seem to have an open ear for the explanation of each incident. They are quick to judge. Each of these accidents was absolutely preventable, but they're accidents, and we do everything possible to prevent them. Don't we do this as a society with drunk driving and gang shootings? Well, we help each other in this community. So to (finally) answer your question, I don't think we've EVER crossed the line between innovation and safety. I just think no one really ever understood what was really going on here or ever really gave us a chance; they just read what happened in the papers. And how many times do we tell ourselves, "Well, you can't always believe what's in the news." BT: Your father, Roger Nelson, took a lot of criticism for the accidents, as well as a lot of credit for safety initiatives and increased interest in skydiving. He was something of a lightning rod for legend and innuendo, not least of which because of the five years he spent in federal prison for drug smuggling. What was he really like? MN: What was my dad really like? Hmm … well, we literally traveled the world, I went hang gliding when I was three, skydiving when I was five, had my first quad motorcycle when I was four, climbed my first mountain at seven, learned how to fly planes when I was two, shot a gun for the first time at age eight and had such a loving family … I'd say he was pretty normal. Everything my dad did was something he was educated and very passionate about. A fact about my dad that some people bypassed -- because it didn't match their sensationalized stories -- was that he was a devout Christian and believed in God and in His Son Jesus Christ. He lived that way for last two years of his life. I'm a Christian because of my dad's faith. He showed me a happier road to follow. We now hold two Bible study classes on [Wednesdays] and have Sunday morning service here at Skydive Chicago. BT: What's your absolute favorite love-to-hate-it skydiving movie? MN: I don't like any mainstream skydiving movies. They're pretty cheesy. It hurts to watch them. BT: You fly planes, run a huge and successful business, break world records, jump from so high that you require oxygen to survive the altitude … what could you possibly have planned for your 30s? MN: Fly bigger planes, keeping running a huge, successful business, break bigger world records, jump from higher altitudes, win more medals and show people that skydiving is not a death wish, it's the way we wish to live. BT: What's it like being a hot, buff girl-flyer in a male-dominated sport? Any proposals at 18,000 feet? MN: I'm hot?? Then why am I single? Oh, and no skydiving proposals accepted at any altitude. I really like, tall, clever and witty guys. BT: You expressed some serious hesitation about talking to media of any kind -- why? MN: Most people don't know, but it seems like the press always has a field day with Skydive Chicago and my family. They don't always get their facts straight, even the little things. I understand that the media wants to show both sides of the story, but it gets old when they blatantly add that last line that seems to be the final knife in the back. For years, my father was scrutinized because of his past. He was convicted by his peers and served his time. When he came out, he had so much energy to build his dream skydiving center, and he did … but at what cost? No matter what happened, it seemed like the press liked to smear his name in mud. They only assumed we were an underground drug smuggling ring. So what happened to forgiving people who admit their wrong and pay their debt to society? My father made so many people happy here, gave many people jobs, gave them a cool playground and gave us all hope. If it's all legal, what crime is there in that? Many of my colleagues encourage me to talk to the media, but it's really hard after they lie to you and after they gain your trust to only then twist your words to match their ideas of what you said to fit in their story. It's so wrong, and now I just let the press say whatever they'd like and just go with, "Any press is good press." Some may say that's a bad business tactic, but I don't run Skydive Chicago with intentions to make money. I do it because I love it. The people who "dare" to come out will know that all of our love and energy is poured into every detail of this operation. ________________ Leigh Householder sometimes jumps out of airplanes. When grounded, she writes from her home in Ohio. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

And to think that over all these years Dana Carvey was actually a Bush supporter? wow _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

WOW, I didn't know you could read minds!!!! The "either you are with us or against us" speeches he has given more than backs up my point. And yes, in that situation, force was needed. But it wasn't the first choice. True diplomacy happened first. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

Not really. Additional diplomacy and support from the UN and the rest of the world made that a situation that was mostly resolved with talks. Yes, we went in and got rid of the bad guys, but it was only with diplomacy that the situation was resolved. There is more than just victory and winning the war. Its about returning life back to normal. And neither will a cowboy/hero mindset either. Which is exactly what Bush has. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

Nope. I would want both. The office of the president isn't a typical job, and therefore a typical person/crook shouldn't be running for it. But that is all we ever get. As far as saying what we want to hear? Hasn't it felt like Bush has taken up the role of Baghdad Bob recently? Apparently its so safe and going well in Iraq that the State Department can't offer enough money to staff the embassy over there. In fact, the embassy is at roughly 50% of authorized strength right now, despite a bonus of 50 percent or more. Not to mention that a top official from the National Oil Co was gunned down, 45 translators were killed and 300 citizens were killed - all last week. Many foreign companies have suspended operations and even news organizations are finding it hard to get senior staff members over there to report. There is no serious construction going on outside the green zone. Buried underneath all the stories of the hostages is how they are being captured. Reports have come out that criminal gangs are kidnapping foreigners and selling them to terrorist groups. Now, what was it that Baghdad Bush was saying about success in Iraq? _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

It's called parody. You spend WAY to much time reading my posts.... Only because there are so many to read. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

And the other side is the one-dimensional idiots that would rather madmen kill and destroy while they sit around and hug trees. We have seen where lack of diplomacy and pure brute force has gotten us. Just take a look at Iraq, and we are doing it alone and we are spread thin. But if you look at Kosovo, just five years after Clinton went in 100% of the forces on the ground were UN run. Now that is diplomacy and force in action. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php3?date=2004-09-22&res=l _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

Good Advice! It is the perfect way to ruin your OS if you don't know what you are doing. Stay away from those porn sites as well _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

Then why didn't you buy yours? Plus I doubt Yale or Harvord will let you buy one without the work. You'd be surprised what they will do to please a big donor. Work in secondary education long enough and you will see it. Right John? I've only been working in education for three years, plus my four years in college and I have seen it and have a story or two. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

Ok, then tell them not to run for office. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

And you wonder why the rest of the world hates us? We send our fascists overseas to be our representatives. BTW - all cults and subcultures use the claim that no one understands them and no one can respect who/what they are. They often use it as an excuse to act above the law or the commonality of society and often produces a false superiority complex. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....

Yup, pretty typical for the more annoying ones. Sometimes just killing off the process and then running AdAware will work...but you have to know the processess....kill the wrong one and the system could reboot or crash. If you are a good geek, use HiJackThis. A great little program to get rid of BHOs and the like. BTW - There is some debate as to WildTangent if they are spyware or not. AdAware and Search&Destroy removes it, but it is now packaged with AIM. The designer is a former MS guy that created DirectX, so it is hard to say. _________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again.....