SBS

Me! :-) I have ritalin for reading and concentrating if I have to. Can't stand the thought of a kid being on it, it's just too weird...you feel really strange. Now, though, knowing how to control it, it is a real help to get things done. For the record, I love having it, and don't consider it a bad thing. I think it fosters creativity and well roundedness...that being said, it is important, I think, to keep it under control. Steve _____________ I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

I second Skybytch's response.

even though i made this remark, disscussion continues ------------------- Maybe there are those of us who did not see your comment as being as profound as you did. ------------------ and is as i said, to my observation, an exercise in futility. --------------------- That is your observation, so if you would not like to participate in the conversation, then that is your perogative. It is ours, though, if we choose to continue the conversation and share our points of view on this and other subjects. --------------------- is there anything anyone can say to change your mind in the matters that you believe in? ---------------------- Yes, I believe that they can. More importantly, though, even if your point of view does not change, it offers access to ideas and philosophies to which one may not have previously given thought. ----------------- i'm glad we live here, but we're still "beating a dead horse" ------------------- Actually, we are simply having a discussion in which we are interested and you are not. You are welcome to participate, but if your purpose in continuing to post is soley to end the thread when we choose to continue, it is you, sir, who is beating a dead horse. Steve _____________ I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

disscussion on these matters is an exercise in futility ---------------- I disagree ---------------- but we're "beating a dead horse" here. ---------------- If it were a "dead horse", the discussion would not be so prominent in society today. It is not just here that these things are being discussed, but everywhere you turn. --------------------- although i don't go along with a lot of it, it is nonetheless their right, and i'm good with that. ------------------------- So am I...I just want the same respect to be reciprocated. Steve _____________ I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

The UN uses French as its international language. More people speak chinese then any other language. What does this mean? Nothing... ------------------ Of course it means something...it means that when you go to the UN, everything will be in French. That is exactly the point with the language here...what is being said is not that English is better than any other language, just that it is OUR language, which contributes to our culture. The United States has a culture...every group has a dynamic and a culture. It may not be as "rich" as European culture, etc., but to deny it is a tragedy. Hell, different states have different cultures and traditions. I agree that this is extreme, but when you consider the middle road, like was pointed out, it's not all that far fetched. This isn't a "believe like I do or leave", but to respect our country. When I go to live in a foreign country, I respect that country, its culture, and its people, by learning the national language, not expecting them to adapt to me and mine. I am by no means against immigration...that is the basis of our society here in the US. At the same time, though, by moving into a new country, I believe that one takes on the responsability of respecting the place into which he or she is moving, as well as holding onto and valuing their own heritage. So, should someone want to move into the United States, I believe that they should be required to have a working knowledge of the English (American) language before entering, or attend classes regularly to attain the knowledge. As far as believing in God, although the founding fathers based this country on their religious beliefs, they did understand that there would be others that should be free to worship and believe how they wished. Learn our language to live here? Yes. Believe in God to live here? No. Just my point of view. Steve _____________ I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

But there are many creatures on this planets that are a bunch of cells....wht makes us any better than they are this planet could have done fine without us (mabe) -------------- This goes right along with the question "How can life have meaning of god doesn't exist?" My question is, who ever said that life HAD to have meaning? Who ever said that we are better? Personally, I like to refer back to the Matrix, where the agent says, "Humans are a cancer of the earth". I couldn't have said it better myself...we are the ones that will destroy this planet and everything on it...how superior are we? Seems to me that our own self destruction puts us at a DISadvantage to all the other creatures that live in peaceful balanced ignorance. -S _____________ I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

(with the basic idea being that u need to bind yourself to an eternal power in order for all the categories of good and evil to be available to you) ------------ I, for one, would tend to agree with you on this point, but that external source need not be god. Some of the most immoral, meanest, most aweful people in the world are religious, and some of the most wonderful people are agnostic, athiest, or belong to some other religion. If God is the source of goodness and morality, your god, that is, then these people would be, by definition, immoral...an accusation which I believe is untrue. The idea of good being god's will is not a standard of ethics, it is a standard of obedience...it is not "do you do something good?", but "is what you do in obedience to god". Technically, if good is defined by the will of god, then if he told you to kill someone, that would be a pious act. Most would retort, "but god wouldn't say that". You have said, though, that you know god's nature, by saying that you know what he would say or not. So, which came first, the chicken or the egg? Do you use god's will, of which you cannot be sure, to define what is good, or did you see what you thought to be good, hear that god is good, and then say, "oh, this is good, it must have come from god"? I am not trying to argue theology, but I just don't think that it is fair to judge the beliefs of others in the way that some choose. Steve --------------- _____________ I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

You may not be certain, but I am. For if God does not exist it would of course be impossible to prove it, and if he does exist it would be folly to attempt it. ----------------- I agree with the second statement, and I agree that your God may very well exist, but these two statements are contradictory. Having been into philosophy, you should be familiar with the notion of "you may know, but you don't know that you know". This, to me, completely applies to this situation. ------------------------- This is what is sad when one contemplates human life, that so many live out their lives in quiet lostness ----------------- I completely agree. Where we will most likely disagree is who we believe are lost. -S _____________ I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

i could, but i won't verbally "spar" with you. --------- a) I asked a simple question b) I sort of thought this was a discussion...seems to me that calling someone a fool is what will start a spar. I don't think that I have been that disrespectful at any point in this thread. -S _____________ I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

i've never tried to "parse" anything to my best recollection. ------------- Parse means "to analyze"...he was saying that it's hard to analyze what you said. ----------------------- remember now, play nice,everybody gets to have their own opinion! --------------- I'm sorry, was it nice to refer to Quade as a fool, when he was saying that your posts were hard to understand? -S _____________ I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

"there will be quite a fewenlightned individuals at the final day" --------------- This is probably the truest sentence in the entire thread... The problem is that until we are there, we don't know who it will be that is enlightened. Who will it be, God, Allah, Buddha, Yahweh, etc. standing before us when we die, if anybody? To whom will he/she say, "sorry guys, nice try, but you were way off"? -S _____________ I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

you can believe whatever you want, but KNOW this: "there is an up, and there is a down" and DOWN ain't so nice. ---------------------- Um...I may or may not believe that, but technically, in order to know something, it has to have been proven as fact...otherwise, it is still a belief, which cannot be known by the actual meaning of the word. ------------------- i know this much from my experience from drilling oil and gas wells, the deeper you drill, the hotter the bottom hole tempertuature is, now that's a scientific fact. funny corelation, coincidence? ---------------------- If that is the case, then the higher we go, the colder it is, and in heaven there will be snow and ice...I don't want to go there either. I would venture to say that it is a coincidence that has no meaning in the slightest. The up/down idea is a very physical, superficial, worldly view of spirituality. -S _____________ I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

A non-believer doesn't pray to anything when they are in a bind, because that would be irrational, given the fact that they are non-believers. It's perfectly fine having your own beliefs, but the smug attitude that some people have that atheists somehow convert when they are facing their doom is ridiculous. -------------------- I agree with you...the difference lies in Athiest vs. Agnostic. Many people confuse the idea of an Atheist, who believes that there is no god, with the idea of an Agnostic, who does not know if there is a god or not. The people who tend to start praying are not necessarily true Athiests. That is not to say that some of them do not convert on their death beds, but it is as likely and as common for a true blooded Athiest to pray to god on his/her death bed as it is for a Christian to start talking to Buddha, or a Buddhist to start praying to God, "just in case". An Agnostic who prays is not changing or going against his/her faith...an Athiest is. -S _____________ I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

Another option would be to answer the child's question. The second answer is easier, I think. -------------- I agree...but then again, I am not offended by the words, and will openly discuss things with my children, should I have them in the future. I think it is sad when parents can't have open discussions with their children...at the same time, though, it is their right to discuss what they wish with their offspring, without the interference of the government in most cases, especially religion. A big difference, as well, is the age difference of the child. There is a huge difference between the reasoning ability of a 14 year old learning about American Government and a Kindergartener learning to memorize the pledge. Personally, if the question were going to come up, I would prefer that it be posed later in life...that is the time when you can have more of a logical discussion, and if the family is religious, the child has more than likely been introduced to its beliefs and has created a foundation. -S _____________ I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

It sounds like your friend made a good call. It depends on how your canopy is loaded, and what type it is...that will determine how it lands with rear risers. If it is a canopy that is already trimed out to push the envelope, it will be a lot easier to stall it than if you were flying a Spectre 150 or 170, for example. If I had a broken brake line, it would depend on the wind that day, and what canopy I was flying. If I were flying my Crossfire and there was less than 10-15 mph of wind, I wouldn't consider trying. If I were flying a Spectre, though, 135 or 150, I would probably try it regardless of wind, and just count on a PLF. It would also depend on if I were jumping camera or not...for my safety, and in the interest of saving my cameras. Steve _____________ I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

Nothing I have said is BS. And if you have jumped the crossfire2 you might have a fucking clue as to what I am talking about. ----------------- You're right, I have no clue. I should go jump the Crossfire 2...oh, wait a second, I did. Icarus sent me one before they came out to see what I thought of it. ---------------- yes you could fall on your ass if doing it wrong ---------------- Falling on one's ass is the least of my concerns...people die doing just that...trying to pull themselves out of the corner or just plain improperly executing a rear riser landing. ------------------ What I am saying is something that I HAVE EXPERIENCED. ------------------ You have said yourself that you have not landed on rear risers, and have only practiced up high. Pulling yourself out of the corner with rear risers is not something that you have experienced, it is pure speculation. ------------------------- Maybe you just can't do it and that upsets you? That I can understand. Learn to fly up high then steadily progress down inch by inch. ---------------------- Hmmm...let's see...I have 1700 jumps, 1000 of which are on Crossfires, 750 of which are loaded at 1.8, do 270-540 degree approaches every time I jump. I jumped as many times this past weekend as you have total on your Crossfire2, have jumped as many times this year as you have in your life, and regularly land using my rear risers without incident. I don't claim to know everything, but when someone is looking for advice on landing a canopy with rear risers, who do you think they should listen to? ---------------------- Just because you can't do something doesn't mean it is bullshit.. ------------------ I can't do it because I don't have the skill to. What I am saying is that when I do have the skill to, I will not be in the corner in the first place. Moral of the story...if you are in the corner, you don't have the experience to pull yourself out of it using rear risers, if it can be done at all. The problem with practicing up high is that you may not have stalled the canopy, but you were not trying to pull yourself out of a situation that could cost you your life. As you see the earth rushing at you, you are going to pull harder and harder on the risers to try to stop your plummet...your last concern is going to be whether you stall the canopy or not. Yes, regardless of where you are in a turn, up high, you are going to feel yourself slowing down significantly, when playing with your rear risers...horizontal flight, though, is not judgeable up high to the nearest degree, and when it is done on the ground that is your margin of error, a degree. I, and other experienced people, can take or leave what you say...newbies don't necessarily know the difference between fact and fiction, and your willingness to impart your speculation that you think is knowledge to anyone and everyone is yet one more example of your inexperience. Steve _____________ I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

So don't require it. Let them omit it if they want. Our constitution, national anthem, pledge of allegiance, popular national songs (america the beautiful) all contain references to god. Each person can omit or include what they choose when such are sung/spoken. I think that's a better choice than revision. ----------- I agree with this, but in reverse...I think it should be omitted, and anyone who wants to include it may. This is something that is handed down from our government...by omitting it, they are saying, "we can't acknowledge every religion, so we will not impose upon you one or the other". By including it and allowing people to not say it if they choose not to, the message is, "we have a national standard, and you can choose not to be a part of it if you want". To me, it doesn't make a difference either way, to others, though, they may find it offensive, and that is their right. Where I think it is a big issue is when kids who may be put in an uncomfortable position with their piers. The purpose of the pledge is unity for country, not to say, "I'm an Athiest", or, "I'm a Christian", or, "I'm a Hindu", etc. There is just no need in this context. What child is going to come home and ask his/her parents, "why isn't there reference to god in our pledge that we say symbolizing patriotism?", but you will have some kids that come home and say, "why does our pledge say "under god"?" I won't elaborate and speculate on the rest of the conversation, but I don't believe that it should be had on account of our government. -S _____________ I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

Actually you can dig out of the corner with rear risers. -------------- Uh, WHAAAA!?!?!?!? ---------------- I practice it up high all the time. ---------- Practicing up high is different than having the ground coming up at you and using it as reference. A difference of a couple of feet makes the difference on the ground...up high, it is not noticable. ------------------ The stall speed on my crossfire2 is so low that I have plenty or rear riser control range to deal with. ----------- The Crossfire does have a very low stall speed and is a very good canopy...it is not a miracle worker, though. ---------------- The response time is instantanous and I believe you could get out of the corner with rear risers if needed. ------------------ This is complete and utter bull$*%&. If you want to jump a canopy that everyone and their brother has recommended against, that is your decision. If you hurt yourself, it has been your own decision. You, now, though, are imposing your untruths onto others. What if someone read that post that you just made, doesn't see any EXPERIENCED responses to it, and goes out and tries to pull themselves out of a corner with rear risers??? Congratulations, now you're endangering other people. It is possible, in certain situations, to land on rear risers when you have not executed a perfect approach...what it takes is not being deep in the corner, and EXTREME precision, experience, skill, and early recognition of a mistake, so that you never reach the corner in the first place. IF it could be done, pulling yourself literally out of the corner with rear risers, it would take a whole lotta skill to do it, and if one has that skill to be able to pull it off, he/she would not ever reach the corner to the point where it would be a question. In a properly executed rear riser landing, you have already entered into the swoop without ANY input, and the swoop is prolonged by pressure applied to the rear risers. -S _____________ I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

You can't take everyone into account. --------------- In the case of religious reference, you can...you can omit it. If you could put reference to all 2500 gods and atheism, that's great, but if you cannot, there should not be reference to one or some. ------------- It would be hard, for example, to object to a high school student who is required to memorize parts of the constitution even though they mention slavery and god. It is, after all, part of our history. ----------------- There is a difference between teaching the history of a document and requiring a child to say that his or her country is "under god". We teach about Hitler and Stalin without imposing their ideals upon students. I am not saying that religion is evil, like Hitler and Stalin, just that something can be taught without being imposed. -S _____________ I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

Bill, my wording was a little off in my first response which you addressed. I meant that I did understand that it was seen as unpatriotic, just that I do not believe that it is, which is what you addressed. -------- many people grew up with the "under god" thing and they like it. It's no more deep, or philosophical, than that. -------- I do agree that there are some people for whom this stands true. There are others, though, who I think take this as a serious attack, as if it is sacreligious (sp?). The olympic rings are 5 colors, as far as I know, because of the fact that those 5 colors appear in every flag of the world, and they symbolize unity. If there is a country somewhere that has a purple flag, is it right that they should be left out because they are not the majority? The pledge is a symbol of unity and patriotism...how can we be patriotic and stand together as a nation when one of its very symbols does not take everyone into account? THAT, I believe, is unpatriotic. -S _____________ I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? --Matthew 12:25-26 ----------------------- The point is that you don't actually know that he is working against himself. If he wrote it, and people follow it as if it is the say-all end-all of truth, and they believe that it is the roadmap to salvation, but in reality, it pulls you away from it, then satan, had he orchestrated the bible, would not be working against himself. You can not refute this question with a quote from the bible, it's just not possible...it presumes that the bible is correct and good, which is the very thing that is in question. As a matter of fact, using quotes from the bible that would directly address this issue such as the one above, make me question further. ------------------- i believe after you hear my comments on it, you'd be wise to retract it, i simply ask you "do you pay taxes?" if the answer to this is yes, your statement is ludricrous at best, yet profound, but wishful, and youthful optism at best, rethink this my firend. ----------------------- I will go so far, since you demand the techincality, to rethink it and restate it as "The government does not have the right to impose its religious beliefs upon the people." That is as clear as day in the constitution, in giving freedom of religion to the citizens. The problem with the statement "under god" is that it endorses a monotheistic view of religion, a liberty that is not bestowed upon our government, and is actually refused to our government in the constitution. I heard people on the radio today referring to the people who passed this as "communistic". Seems to me that when a government, by endorsing monotheism, does not give its endorsement to atheistic or polytheistic views, it is closer to communism than a country that does not refer to any sort of religious beliefs. I'm all for the pledge of allegiance having the words "under god", but by the choice of the people who receit it, and not to be required in an establishment directed by our government. If they want to do it at baseball games, Boy Scouts, whatever, that's ok with me, but for the government or any of its bodies to require that any of us acknowledge god is just not the freedom that founded this country. --------------------------- I agree, but for a different reason. Any legal issues will quickly be submerged beneath the current "everything patriotic is good" theme we have going here. No politician will want to be seen opposing the plegde of allegiance, after all! People like it. ---------------------- I still fail to see where anything has been said that is unpatriotic. I have not heard anyone say that the pledge of allegiance could not be said in school with the omittance of "under god". I still wonder, if they tried to put Buddah on our money, what people would do, or if they tried to impliment a Taoist meditation in the mornings, etc. Ya think people might have a problem with that? The reason that people have a problem with these two words being taken out of the pledge is, for the most part, because it is what we believe. What if we didn't believe it? Would it be such a problem? Until the day when it can be proven beyone a shadow of a doubt that: 1) God Exists, -and- 2) He is the one and only God, etc. etc. etc., this is pure speculation, just like Hinduism, Catholisism, Buddhism, Wicca, Athiesm, etc. etc. etc. and all other religions that have ever existed. One of them may be correct, but maybe none of them are. We don't know, and we have to, repeat HAVE TO, do is respect eachother and eachother's beliefs. When we don't, death and destruction is the inevitable result. -S _____________ I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

I know there is one God and I can't wait to go home and be with him. ----------------- I'm not saying that there is or isn't...to say that you KNOW, though, is pretty bold, and pretty impossible. It is a belief until it can be proven fact, and if it had been proven fact, we wouldn't have wars over religion. Secondly, I hope that if there is a god that one day I am with him as well. At the same time, though, there have been something like 2500 gods in world religions over the centuries. I find it strange that someone could be part of a religion that preaches humility, yet say that they KNOW which god is the right one, and they know him and his nature on top of that. I do not mean this as a personal attack, as it is something that I see in most all organized religion...it's just not consistant. -------------------------- One says this: I don't see God as a vengeful God, but as a merciful God. And then says this: How can you find your "own" truth? I guess I can't think that highly of myself. ------------------------ How is it that someone cannot think that highly of themselves, but make a statement that they KNOW, not only does god exist, but they know the nature of god? Again, this just doesn't seem consistant. The attitudes that lead to religion building walls between people and causing death and wars is that people take their beliefs and lose sight of the fact that they are merely beliefs...they believe that they believe them because they are the truth. It goes back to the philosophical saying, "you may know, but you don't know that you know". I think Mere Christianity is a good book for every Christian to read and consider. CS Lewis is well respected in this field of study, and even he made the statement that Christians, even if correct, would not necessarily be the only ones in heaven, as far as he was concerned. That completely undermines what is held so highly in the Christian church today, that salvation comes soley from the acceptance of Christ. Again, an inconsistancy. I was told a couple of months ago by a Christian, "The devil hides some truth in every lie." What I found interesting was that he applied that to my words, but not his own. So, I answered him with a question, "How do you know that Satan didn't orchestrate the bible?" If there is a god, and he happens to be all loving, it is deeper than a book, and more profound than saying a prayer. It's a way of life. Whether it is God, Buddah, or whatever up there, if there is anything at all, regardless, the government does not have the right to impose their beliefs upon us. That is the contract that they wrote themselves, it is not being pushed on them now. They chose to create this country for a reason, and by requiring anyone to say "under god" they are in direct violation of their own contract with the people. I, personally, am not bothered by it. I don't think that it is that important. At the same time, though, there are people to whom it is very important, and we have to respect that. Even if we don't think it's worth raising a stink, they have been given the right to do so. Steve _____________ I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

Just to make sure you understand, I am just kidding. :-) -S

Yes, it IS the longest day, which means all you Perrisites have plenty of time to get out to the dz and keep the plane going til sunset. PPPPPPLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEAAAAAASSSSSSSEEEEEEE???? :-) -S

24.On packaging for a Rowenta iron - DO NOT IRON CLOTHES ON BODY. ------------------ Just for the record, this is good advice...I tried it once...didn't work out so well... :-) -S