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I saw the opportunity in a niche market, wrote the business plan, it was approved, but frankly no one thought it was possible. Conservative company and no rewards for being creative. Maintaining status quo was preferred. The plan was never properly resourced but we succeeded anyway. It was hard work but the work was plentiful. Just needed to work hard and execute. I used relationships that had been developed in the previous 11 years to give the customer what they needed. Our contracting method was unique and easy. The first six months we finalized processes and set up contractor relationships using a few small projects to get started. We ended the year with $1.5 million in contracts, cash flow positive and made a profit. Second year had one project for $3.5 million and a few small ones. At the start of year 3 we signed a $10.5 million contract. The sales and engineering work had been completed in year 2. Completing the work took 5 months. It took longer than that to develop the contract, negotiate the deal and to get my boss to sign it. Had to chase the turd for days finally cornering him at the department Xmas party, the contract had to be signed by Dec 31. Third year had a few more deals totaling $6 million. The first deal that year is what killed the business. The government was given exactly what they asked for but complained anyway. I suspected it would be a problem from the start. The Navy had a policy about temperature settings and the tech rep was adamant that even the bowling alley had to comply. I knew that there was no bowling alley in SC that operated at 74 degrees indoor temp. Had 3-4 conversations with the Navy about it during the engineering phase. The specs were clearly noted on the blueprint and in the written contract. The temperature standard was specifically pointed out to the customer and the contract was signed. The work was completed, the HVAC equipment performed better than required, it would cool to 71, but they weren't happy. They wanted 68 degrees but there was no way the equipment could provide that. We spent weeks collecting data to prove the equipment performance exceeded the contract requirements. The Navy contracting officer agreed with us and told the government tech rep we had met the contract requirements. That should have been the end of it but the tech rep went over the contracting officers head to her boss. The boss was a political appointee with no brain. He hounded us for weeks saying, "just fix it, it was our responsibility." Bottom line is he complained up the chain of command providing the Base Commander with false information. The Base Commander went to my president. The order came down the hill to stop what we were doing, "if the customer doesn't appreciate it then why do it" was the reasoning they used. The facts never came out, the company paid them $60K to hire another contractor to replace the HVAC system, and we spent 6 months finishing up the contracts we had already signed. It should be noted that we had renovated 38 buildings over 2 years and this was the only conflict. The tech rep was an idiot. In that short period of time 1.5 employees added 1.9 cents a share, and no one cared. I would have been much better off taking my energy elsewhere but somehow I thought I could prove to them that I could do it. Well, I did it and they didn't care. No reward for creativity, the status quo was preferred. The customer ended up spending a few million more a year in utility bills than they should of it they had kept us on board. When I retired I checked their bills and they had steadily increased when our work stopped. Prior to that they had been in a notable decline. No punishment for anyone involved in lying, cheating or making bad decisions. In the government there is no P&L statement and there is always money to cover up mistakes. These type projects are ongoing today. There are now huge companies doing energy savings performance contracting making 100's of millions. We were on the leading edge of that wave providing the same service, using a different contracting method that provided the service for a a lower price. I'm aware of one that was done for $83 million. We discussed that project with the customer and would have done it for $30ish million. Oh well.

Jerry - Agree. The lack of clarity and honesty in all parts of government is terrible.

Just basic blocking and tackling. Renovation and replacement of equipment that uses energy or water in federal residential housing developments, commercial and industrial buildings. Chillers, HVAC, ground source heat pumps, lighting, drives, motors, faucets, toilets, urinals showers, water heaters, etc.

Addressing a few things that have been said by folks that have a different view from mine. - I regularly listen to CNN, HLN, FOX and BBC and read a couple newspapers. It's interesting how the exact same set of facts can be reported so differently. One thing for sure - it's difficult to know what is the truth. - I have owned and run a couple businesses. One was small and the other one had $21.5 million of revenue in 3.5 years, not to shabby. Also worked for a Fortune 500 size corporation, and a few other small businesses. - Joe's lack of leadership experience was noted. One person mentioned the law firm he co-founded as an example of leadership. That's not a good example, very few folks to lead and he was only involved for a short period of time. I'm talking about leadership over time and having a list of accomplishments. - Trump's accomplishments with foreign affairs was mentioned and this person wants to dwell on nuclear proliferation of countries that we can't exactly just tell them to stop. We can initiate sanctions and other penalties and that was done or increased from what was already in place. - His attempts to control illegal immigration and address crimes committed by illegals are a positive. No doubt it's a difficult topic because of the kids/families involved and related issues. - The Dems stated goals to block his administration and have him removed from office were made before he even took office. What good does that do for the country? - Gun reform, what a mess. Let's find a workable solution that will have a positive result and doesn't violate the Constitution. It's crazy that people use the term "assault rifle" and ban "high capacity mags." There is no such thing as an assault rifle and banning the mags is not possible. Joe's AR14 comment is an example, clearly no clue of the topic or mentally lacking. Even if those guns were banned and mags weren't available, the weapon of choice would just change. No one mentions handguns that hold 21 rounds in a mag that fits inside the pistol grip. That's a common handgun with a muzzle velocity >2,000 fps, and it's easily concealed. Frankly, a standard 12-guage semi-auto, hunting shotgun, can do more carnage, quicker than a scary looking black rifle. There are probably 100's of thousands of those out there. Banning has never worked. The criminals will still have them and then we'll just have more defenseless victims. - From my perspective Pelosi is being dragged across the coals because she knowingly broke the law, it appears that she feels privileged and that the law doesn't apply to her, she tried to blow it off, and she complained about Trump doing similar things. One can't complain about Trump then do the exact same thing and not expect to get blasted. - Do the living conditions of the homeless and the impact of the citizens in her home district concern anyone? At what point is she held responsible for anything? - The accomplishments of the last 3+ years are fairly significant. A couple are the changes with NAFTA and those with international trade. No doubt we let ourselves be abused for many years under many presidents of both parties. The Paris Climate Agreement was a mess that severely penalized the US while not required China to do anything until 2030. Granted they are making a huge shift into nuclear and as long as they do it right that will reduce the carbon footprint. Trump is rough and a tough negotiator, and some don't like that. - Harris is real scary. One person praised her for the hatchet job on Kavanaugh. He stated that she stood up to his lies. I can't see how anyone can think that was OK when there was no substantiated proof, or evidence that he was lying. One item that sticks out for me is the death of Brown in Ferguson. The Obama Justice Department and Holder acquitted the cop yet Harris continued to repeat the lie that Brown was murdered. All that did was escalate racial tension. - In the mid 90's Joe voted for the ban of gays in the military and three years later to ban same sex marriage individuals from the military. One law was modified and the other ruled unconstitutional. Granted that was ~25 years ago and public opinions and perspectives change over time. I'm not condemning Joe for those decisions. - The fairly recent allegations of "inappropriate" touching are more concerning as they came from credible individuals. By no means does that downplay what Trump has been accused of. Just pointing out that you can't whine about one without being honest about the other. - I can accept anyone's personal opinion that the offenses of the Repubs are worse than the Dems. But many see it differently. The real question we should all be asking is why do we even have to have that discussion? - I didn't come here solely to bash Joe, as one person stated. I've bashed Trump and am not at all happy with our choices. For many years our "leaders" of both parties have underperformed. I'm simply saying that I see things differently than many that post here. That doesn't make either of us wrong or bad people. At this point, for me, Biden and Harris are unacceptable. His lack of mental acuity is a primary factor as is his position on taxes. Also have no desire to have Harris, Warren, AOC and Bernie running the show. -

Good morning Jerry - I appreciate your reasonableness and don't mind a discussion. That's just not possible with others on this forum. Yes, I believe he has accomplished many things that he said he would do. If we listed what he has accomplished it would be impressive. He's accomplished things that other folks have neither tried or tried and failed. As for the things he's said he would do and didn't, yes there is a list. There are plenty of negative folks on here that have clearly pointed that out. Those folks want to point out all the negatives but not acknowledge any shortcomings of others, or acknowledge the positives. I've done both. Until there is some level of fairness in the analysis it's just politics. Has any president been attacked like he has? What's going on is crazy. There are things that the Democrats were pushing a few years ago, and he agreed with them. When he put them on the table the Democrats shot them down, that makes no sense. They just can't stand for him to have a "win." What we know is that prior to the virus the economy was booming, unemployment was at a record low, jobs were coming back to the US, and many other world wide positives. My investments are up 4+% this year, not too bad considering what's going on. My post was my opinion yet there are folks that make it personal with attacks. At the end of my post I acknowledged that both sides have problems. Yet others can't seem to acknowledge any negatives for their side. Hope you have a great day, I'm headed to the DZ.

WP - there are plenty of documented whopper lies. He's rarely been in the limelight and folks really didn't care what he said for most of his career. Now that he's decided to try to be important, it does matter. One can't say, "I graduated in the top of my law class", when they finished 76th out of 85. I could go on with dozens more but no need. And yes, Trump has lied plenty. Biden has never held a real job and never held a leadership position that required performance. How can anyone expect him to suddenly change? The position gives power but not leadership. No question his mental acuity is lacking, that's scary. Politics has been so nasty for so long that no one of real substance wants the job. Just image if a true leader, one that could bring this country together emerged and ran. The life long politicians on both sides would ruin the person. And, no, the Republicans don't get a pass and neither do the long term Democrats. Every politician should have to answer for their record. Both candidates have serious flaws. Harris is scary. Her record as AG is quite different than what she's saying now. That's makes her unbelievable. She's proven her morals by the hatchet job she tried on Kavanaugh. Can't think of any huge issues with Pence. What we do know is that Trump does what he says. He is the first politician that has followed through on what was stated during the election process. That one thing is quite interesting. What's been accomplished with foreign affairs is amazing in light that there has been little cooperation. One may not like what he says but at least we know where he stands. At this point I can't believe anything Biden says because he has no record of honesty. Ever wonder what could be accomplished if there was just a little cooperation between these parties. They are both disgusting. Scary times for sure.

Jerry - we can't believe anything he says. He's been there for 47 years and will say anything that he's told will get him elected. Just a typical politician and something we need to get rid of.

As a load organizer I'm partially responsible for the safety of the group. I'll do a 2-way with anyone. When someone wants to jump with my group, yes, I need to know their capabilities. Sometimes we'll break into smaller groups to accommodate those with lower skills. When that person says, "but I wanted to do 8-way", but they can't do consistent 4-way, that shows that they don't understand all the factors involved with these decisions, and don't respect the other jumpers. When I ask folks what slot they feel comfortable in and they say, "I can do anything" that's a big red flag. They get placed in or close to the base until we learn what they can really do. I've taken lesser experienced jumpers on bigger ways. They were jumpers I've jumped with, and I knew what they could and couldn't do. They get slotted in a place where they can be successful and the group isn't negatively impacted or safety compromised. They enjoy the jump, do well, learn and are gracious. Sharing a handshake or hug, and a thanks goes a long way. That gets them on the next jump. Being an LO is fun, but it's work and can be a PIA. And if I'm paying for jump it's an extra PIA. Be nice. Three goals: have fun, help others learn in a controlled fashion, and have everyone go home whole.

Jerry - that raises interesting questions. Do convicted folks that are in prison get to vote? What about folks in jail that haven't been convicted but are being held for trial?

Another fine upstanding protester. One less Democrat vote. Samantha Shader, 27, of Catskill, NY, was it worth it? Throwing a molotov cocktail at an NYPD van with 4 cops inside. Did your protest achieve your goal? Is the country better off because of your actions? Four counts of attempted murder of a police officer, attempted arson, assault on a cop, criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment. Enjoy your life behind bars. Hope it was worth it for you. In America, we have a constitutional right to be stupid, and you exercised your right last night. Your picture will be in the dictionary when you look up dumbass!

Should work great. One of the regular jumpers will probably buy it at that big of a discount. I was thinking that $1,000 would be a good deal. It's would be easy for anyone to verify that the account had the money. Seems that the DZ would facilitate the transfer upon you receiving the funds.

Woo Hoo - thanks for listening. The problem we see with new jumpers that "read ahead" is they learn it incorrectly or learn things that are simply wrong. Then we spend time getting them to unlearn it. The instructors will teach you what you need when you need it. If you're above average they'll give you more, if below average it comes at a slower pace. All designed to not overload the student to the failure point.

Guy meets hot chick in the bar, invites her to his place and she says yes. In further conversation he learns she's married. Guy: Why are you cheating? Her: Because he stutters and lies. Guy: Why is that a problem? She: Well, I'm a pharmacist. He came in to buy condoms and said he needed XXXXL. I proposed on the spot. On our wedding night I learned about the stuttering and lying. He should have asked for MMMM.

missing the point simple: an AAD fire is not necessarily a "save", the manufacturer can't claim they have xxx saves because they have sold xxx cutters, there are plenty of instances when the AAD fired as programmed but the jumper had an open or opening main agree on the being low comments but that doesn't mean it's a "save"

the ones I'm discussing weren't premature openings, the AAD functioned as programmed the point is that these weren't saves, everything would have been fine without the AAD firing, the manufacturer has no way to know if an order for a cutter involved a save because they don't ask for details

an AAD fire is not necessarily a save unless the manufacturer is collecting data about the fire they don't know if it was a save or just a fire I'm aware of a couple fires where the jumper merely opened low and the firing sequence had started. They had opening mains when the reserve loop was cut. The main opened then the reserve then came out.

B - building A - antenna S - span E - earth helicopter is not part of the definition

A blonde and brunette were walking past a flower shop. The brunette saw her boyfriend inside buying flowers. She sighs and says, "Now he will expect me to spend the weekend on my back with my legs spread in the air." The blonde says, "Don't you have a vase?"

Myrtle Beach is a tourist trap: golf, t-shirt shops and strip clubs, the beach is nice, typical east coast sand, plenty of beach front places to stay, waves are loud if you want that sound. If you want to go east then there's Isle of Palms and Sullivans Island immediately north of Charleston, and Folly Beach just to the south, IOP/Sully beaches are the same as MB but much less cheesy, many neat restaurants, small town feel. Folly is an old style hippie place, plenty of the younger crowd, small town, beach is similar to the above. If you go to Folly you need to stay on Folly. You could stay off Folly on James Island or Charleston but the traffic is terrible with all the day trippers. Florida panhandle is a much better than MB, better beaches, soft white sand. For me, assuming distance wasn't an issue: FL, Folly=IOP/Sully then MB. But I'm 2 hours from Charleston and 2.5 to MB. Hugely prefer the panhandle. All of them will be packed with people and kids, and restaurants will be full.

on the fake FG - the holder gave it away when he looked at the sideline and nodded Give one city to the thugs so they can all live together. I vote for Chicago where they have strict gun laws.

yep, at the post game mid-field handshake Dabo told Nick, see ya next year Give one city to the thugs so they can all live together. I vote for Chicago where they have strict gun laws.

jumped the Sharpchuter, Fury, Maverick and Cricket, did plenty of CRW on the first two - all great canopies, had a Firelite reserve, never used it Jumped a Nova for years without any issue. There was more than one fatality when the canopy was flown aggressively and in turbulence. It was never a good idea to make a low turn behind trees on a windy day regardless of the canopy being jumped. there is at least one around being jumped regularly with no issues at the time it was the most aggressive canopy available, fast with a good glide ratio it was fun test jumping it in a Teardrop container at the old Z-Hills, it didn't have a logo on it and everyone always yelled beer until they saw that it easily flew to the other side of the line Give one city to the thugs so they can all live together. I vote for Chicago where they have strict gun laws.

Billy - knock knock - are you up off the floor yet?? total domination: offense, defense, band, cheer leaders the look on Saban's face, disbelief and no clue what to do So - South Carolina beat em, Clemson beat em twice, next time we're sending Furman Give one city to the thugs so they can all live together. I vote for Chicago where they have strict gun laws.

depends on the DZ, suggest you focus on the training and first jump if you are ready ask them about a second jump, if they have time and staff it should be fine Give one city to the thugs so they can all live together. I vote for Chicago where they have strict gun laws.