steve1

QuoteI think that getting rid of teacher tenure would go a long way toward solving the problem, and I'm speaking as a former teacher myself. reply] I disagree. Just because you have tenure doesn't mean you can't be fired. What it means is that there has to be a reason, and there are steps administrators must take to fire you. About the only way you can make decent money as a teacher is to stay at one school for a while and get a higher rate of pay. There are steps and lanes for each year of teaching and more money for extra years of schooling. I know of many schools who lay people off at the end of their third year so noone can get tenure. That way they can save a ton of money by continually hiring new teachers for a cheap price. The kids also suffer on this deal because most of these newly hired teachers have little experience. If it wasn't for tenure there would be little job security. You would continually be fired and starting out at the bottom of a new schools pay schedule. They may pay for a few years service, depending on the school, but it would probably be a measley salary. I've met a ton of administrators who are truly idiots. I've also met a hell of a lot of school board members who are nothing but trouble makers. I mean where else do you hire people off the street, to run a corporation. I'm just glad they have to go through a process and have a good reason to get rid of a teacher. Otherwise most teachers would be continually fired on a whim. Sure there are bad teachers. If an administrator is doing his job, they can get rid of them. Oregon got rid of tenure in their state. I read of one administrator who didn't like his schools test scores so he fired everyone in it. It must be nice playing God! And what do test scores mean anyway. Sometimes not a whole hell of a lot. When I was teaching I had years when my scores were high. I also had several years when they were low. That might have had something to do with the fact that I was a male teacher who could handle the rough necks better than a woman. Or maybe they figured they needed a male role model. At any rate, many years I was given a class from hell, and their test scores reflected this. Then there was Mrs. Nice who was spoon fed all the nicer girls from good families. Man did she have great test scores. Then, there is something called cheating. I think some administrators even enourage this. I could tell some really good stories of how some have done just that, but this is getting too windy all ready. And then, think of all the stress that looking good on the big test creates. That stress goes from the administrators, to the teachers, and then to the kids. Many days teachers are telling kids that we aren't going to do anything fun today because all their time is going to be spent preparing for the test. Some schools are even extending the school day, so they can again spend more time preparing for the damn test. Is this really what you would want for your kids? And then again, it isn't just one standardized test any more, it's three or four of these tests a year, (with talk of getting even more tests). I mean how many damn tests do they need? Well, I hope I didn't depress anyone too much with all this testing nonsense. But this is reality in the schools today. I'm just really really glad that I'm not teaching anymore! Right now the fad is testing. The pendelum will probably swing to something different, sometime in the near future. Hopefully it will be in the direction of something that makes more sense....Steve1

Hod (Gary) Sanders, is a former world champion. He also owns a drop zone in Montana. His son, B.J. has a few hundred jumps. He grew up on his Dad's D.Z. B.J. was named after B.J. Worth, one of Hod's old team-mates.....Steve1

I'll get up on my soap box again, and then I'll shut up.....Whose fault is it that kids are failing in many public schools? I think it's time we take a harsher look at the damn parents who are abusive and neglectful to their children. I was a teacher in a tough public school for 17 years, and I now work as a counselor. All I can say is that "damn", I'm glad I'm no longer a teacher. More and more pressure is being put on teachers to do the impossible and perform at a level that is simply impossible. What a damn stressful job. I have a ton of respect for most teachers. I doubt if I could still do that job. I rode home last night with a teacher who was having chest pains and both of his arms were feeling wierd, (because he is totally stressed out). He is putting his kids first rather than himself. All the stress is probably going to kill him in the next few years. Yes, he has been hospitalized for this in the past, but rather than easing up he just keeps charging on. This morning he wasn't able to car- pool because he came to school an hour early. I said to hell with that. You see the "good ole" Office of Public Instruction is coming in to evaluate all the teachers again next week and to make sure they are doing their reading program "just right". As if teachers don't have enough to worry about many are really worried over this. And the fact is having all this scrutiny from big brother really isn't changing anything. Finally the government is beginning to realize maybe the parents do have a bigger impact on kids than we thought.....Well Daaaaah! I honestly think that most educators really do care about kids, and that is why they got into the profession. Sure their are some bad apples that should be forced out, but the vast majority are really trying hard to help their students. I really wonder why anyone would choose to be a teacher these days. There is very little respect from anyone. And then add up all the pressure that goes with the job, for a minimal amount of money, and you just have to ask why. My daughter was valedictorian of her senior class. She really wanted to be a teacher. She is very sensitive and I know she would be eaten up by this profession. I did my best to convince her to choose something else. This year she is graduating from graduate school. She is going into counseling. I just hope that profession isn't too hard on her. It's hard to go home each night and forget all the horror stories you hear of abuse and neglect....Steve1

I work in a school that has failing scores nearly every time they test. I really get sick and tired of hearing this is all the damn teacher's fault. I work in an Indian Reservation School. Many many of the students here are traumatized in a dysfunctional family over and over again and then they start school. This dysfunction is still going on at home each night, when they return home. The government just doesn't seem to understand that many of these kids are of course doing poorly in school. Surely it is those damn teachers! A very large number of our students have a large portion of their brain missing because their Mother chose to drink and use drugs before their child was born. But the government believes no child shall be left behind, and by some miracle if only our teachers were good enough, that even an FAS child can perform at a high level, just like everyone else. The fact is that nearly every school on every Indian Reservation in our state is failing. But according to the government, this really doesn't matter and the fault lies with the school staff. We recently had some big shots from the Office of Public Instruction tour our school to find out what the problem was. Most of these people are retired administrators from white schools in nice neighborhoods. My question is what the hell do they know! More later....I have to catch my ride home!.....Steve1

I'm no expert but I'd say, yes. Normally the human brain is good at bouncing back from extremely frightening situations, but not always, and it can vary greatly in individuals. A smell, or sound, or something related to the past frightening event can trigger a serious nervous reaction or even intense fear. (As if you are reliving that episode all over again.) It can also interfere with sleep patterns and result in nightmares. One Vietnam Vet would sit in a room with his back to a wall and would become intensely alert (hyper vigilant) at the slightest noise. Another war veteran would dive on the floor at any loud noise. I work with some kids, as a school counselor, who are suffering from the affects of PTSD. Most of them were traumatized in the dysfunctional home they were brought up in. If the trauma is severe enough you may or may not end up with PTSD. So skydiving probably could cause some of this in some individuals.....Steve1

I listened to a therapist once who said that ADHD may be a very normal behavior that has taken thousands of years of evolution to achieve. He thought that it was a desirable trait to have sometimes in terms of survival. For example if a saber tooth tiger suddenly appeared in your cave one night, there might be people who would stop and think things through carefully, on what the best behavior to take for that situation would be. While others who were more impulsive would jump up and fight the tiger, before it killed them all off. The point was that maybe being impulsive could be a good thing. In todays world impulsive people often don't fair very well. In school for example it is a lot to ask of a youngster to sit quietly in his desk and learn all day. Especially for boys, who are usually more physically active than girls. Far more boys than girls are diagnosed for ADHD.....Steve1

Quote I know that. But 75% of diagnosis are bullshit. ................................................................ I think this would be stretching things a good deal. I don't think diagnoses by mental health professionals are nearly that far off....................................................................... Maybe its different in the UK but our GPs are so busy AND scared of getting sued that when under pressure from parents etc they will write out pretty much anything that sounds about reasonable to get rid of them. .................................................................... Doctors would likely get sued for incompetence by labeling kids incorrectly. Much more care goes into a diagnosis than that.. ................................................................. I recall seeing the main doctor behind the 'discovery' and treatment of ADHD on the TV and his utter dissapointment at how its being used today. ........................................................... I know there are abuses that the media focus on for sensationalism, but to say all Doctors are Quacks is a pretty big stretch. Most Schools are trying to do the right thing by these kids, even though there is some abuse. And I wish this problem was as simple as giving a kid a good swat once in a while. I really think this would only make the problem worse......Steve1 reply]

ADHD is a very real thing. I don't know if it is a fashionable diagnosis or not, but it is undoubtedly being over diagnosed in most schools today. Medication does help a lot of ADHD kids do a better job of concentrating and behaving. Many would be expelled or fail without it. There is no doubt that many diagnosed with ADHD may have the wrong label. Many kids who are depressed, suffering from PTSD, oppositional defiant disorder, or a few other mental health labels often show similiar simptoms to ADHD, and are mis-diagnosed. When you are working with something as complicated as the human brain, it isn't always easy to come up with the correct diagnosis. We have access to almost no Psychiatrists here in Eastern Montana. As a result someone with less training is often making the call on the correct medication. In our school we have a couple of clinical Psychologists with added training in medication making these decisions.....Steve1

I work in a really tough school, in an even rougher town on an Indian Reservation. When I started here 23 years ago, this town had the highest per capita murder rate in the entire U.S. Most of them were killed with a knife. In one of the steel doors, on the outside of our school, are a couple dents, made by a drive-by shooter (probably a 9mm). Many people who work here think it is only a matter of time before a shooting in the school happens. Last year there were three kids planning to shoot up the school. Luckily the plot was discovered before it happened. We have two armed police officers in the school, which makes everyone feel a little safer, but the plan was to shoot them first. I doubt if automatic weapons will be used, but it is possible. There are even a few folks here with fully automatic weapons (which of course are illegal). Personally I think a shotgun would be just as deadly, if not more so, in a room to room shootout. Kids could be the ones targeted, but I think the school staff is more at risk. Then again it could be a knifing in the school. Knives are taken away from kids on a regular basis here. In fact more people here have been killed with knives rather than with guns. And then again a whole lot of people have been simply beaten to death during a party, with no weapons at all used. Oh by the way....Our school is looking for more teachers if you are interested....Steve1

..................................... I think it's there, but for whatever reason, two bands may be crossed and hooked in the wrong place. Maybe it was a way to get them a little tighter??...Steve1

My memory is about shot, but I do recall a flare of sorts, used by the military back in the 70's. If I remember right it fired a star cluster. It came in a narrow tube and you hit one end of it to set it off....Steve1

This is a little off the subject, but I've been told many times, that our skydiving club in Montana is the oldest continually running "COLLEGIATE" club in the U.S. It was started in the early 60's possibly late 50's. I have a boogie T-shirt at home that has the exact year. I'll have to go find it.....Steve1

............................................. Gee whiz, Mad John is on here. I'll bet all those jumps he makes without even taking a break are making him mean. I wish I was still tough enough to work that hard. He's the toughest old fart I know....Steve1

Baker, Beeze, Hanson, and Leegan will all vouch for my being an asshole. Blues, Dave .................................................. Now, that's a scary bunch! They don't come any wilder than that, but then again, they are fun to hang with.....Steve1

Wow Steve! This has GOT to be a first! 100,000 plus views ~ No mention of Boobies in the thread title! ! Airtwardo, it was your wonderful stories that kept people coming back for more. This is indeed a time to celebrate. Anybody have any beer?? I'm getting so damn old that just another day above ground is a day to celebrate!....Steve1

Quote But I hung with the civilian R/W derelicts; Roy Baldwin, Les Williams, Mike Culler, Emmett (Tim) Florea, Tom Canarozzo, Stevie Morrow, Rick True, Sully and a bunch more. It wasn't long before we were over at Henley Aerodrome in Athol ID, jumping out of Rozzo's Twin Beeches. Deer Park was history as a DZ by 79. reply] ........................................................................ I remember Rozzo, Steve Morrow, and Sully well. I posted an old picture of our RW team back in about 74 (under first collegiate eight-way, under history and trivia). It might be fun for you to look that up. It shows a good picture of Sully and B.J. I think Sully died at Athol, Idaho. That was sure a terrible loss!.....Steve1

Yeah, I jumped with him at LP and Hamilton too, and possibly Richland and/or Davenport, but I didn't make it to Boise last year. Blues, Dave I'll bet I know you too Dave, but can't place your face....

I haven't been around nearly as long as most of the people in this thread, but Bullit is my friend and I'm thinking he's due for another leg humping. Bullit Bob still jumps. I made some with him at Lost Prairie, Boise, and Hamilton last year....I'll have to talk to him about Jacuzz. I didn't know they were friends....Steve1

.......................................... There are a series of jump commands that a jump master in the army gives. It's been thirty years or more but (if I remember right) it was 1. Get Ready 2. Standup 3. Hookup 4. Check equipment 5.Sound off for equipment check 6.Stand in the door 7.Go! Well one day we were standing, all hooked up, nervous as hell, waiting for this "Narly" looking jumpmaster to get his commands over with, so we could jump. So, after sounding off for our equipment check, this sargent yells at the top of his lungs....("F*** God, and stand in the door.") About then everyones eyes got really big, and everyone knew we were gonna die for sure, or the aircraft would get struck by lightning, or that something really bad was about to happen. But everything usually went really well after that. I think some of those salty old jump masters really enjoyed playing with our minds. A few years later, I became a salty old jumpmaster myself, instead of giving the proper hand signal to stand up, I usually just gave everyone the bird. This seemed to take the pressure off and most jumps went well after that.....Steve1

The newer hornets all have the larger sliders. So does mine. I think one reason for my hard openings, when I first got this canopy, was because my bag was also one size too small. I wasn't doing a very neat job of stuffing all that material in there. When I started psycho packing it just made it easier (for me) to get it all crammed in there. And yes, I did have some slammer openings, prior to changing my packing methods. I'm not saying this packing methor is better than any other, but I just find it easier to pack....Steve1

I wish there weren't the shadows in that picture. It's kind of hard to see much detail...But, without looking at a loading manual I'd say the three in the middle are a 243, then a 30/06, and the next looks a lot like a 300 Weatherby, (but then again I can't tell for sure if the case has rounded shoulders or not, which is characteristic of Weatherby, and it also looks like it may not be belted, which would rule out either the 300 Weatherby entirely. The last may well be a 416 Rigby. It looks to be over 400 caliber.....Steve1

Another thing that may be peculiar about my hornet 170 is that it is impossible to stall it out in full brakes. My steering lines may be a hair long, but even when they were set way too short it would not stall, no matter how low I put my hands in brakes....Steve1

Thanks for the great Thread, John! I'm also enjoying the debate on this issue. We had a neighbor who died last year. He told us the following story....He was an airforce crew chief and was flying on a cargo aircraft during the 40's. They were flying through a severe snowstorm somewhere in the Southwest U.S. There was extreme turbulance when one of the wings came off. Most of them were chuted up and were scrambling to get out the door. The only problem was that there were so many G's being put on everyone and everything that noone could get out. They were litterally bouncing off the walls, ceiling, and floor. Everyone figured they were doomed. About then the back of the plane litterally broke off exposing a white world of wind and snow. Some of them got out in time to open their chutes, but some of them also perished when the plane hit a mountain. The ones that made it out were scattered over a big area and were unable to regroup in the snow. It took a few days to hike out to any kind of road or civilization. You had to admire the courage people like that had. They made a TV documentary out of this a couple years ago....Steve1

......................... There's probably 400 jumps on them. I've heard the Sabre II is more or less a copy of the hornet. Both are semi-tapered. Correct me if I'm wrong on any of this. I'm no canopy expert. I bought it new for an unbelieveably low price from South Africa, about five years ago. It's well made, and I really like it for the most part.....Steve1

I've got a hornet 170 and it bucks like crazy when I pull down on the front risers. I've lengthened the steering lines and it still does the same thing. Let me know if you figure this one out. Maybe this is a characteristic of this canopy. It also opened really hard when I first got it. I started psycho packing it and it helped a lot......Steve1