Jessica

I use the dz.com weather page a lot...it would be nice if there were more links to it, maybe a permanent one in place of "calendar" or something. Skydiving is for cool people only

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government announced plans Wednesday to eliminate 3,000 more airport screening jobs by the end of September. The cuts, coupled with 3,000 others announced in March, amount to about 11 percent of the 55,600 screeners employed. The moves will save the Transportation Security Administration an estimated $280 million, director James Loy said. “TSA is entering a new stage in its maturation,” Loy said of the 17-month-old agency. The first 3,000 cuts will be made by May 31, the rest by Sept. 30. Loy said the TSA will try to trim the work force through attrition and putting some workers on part-time hours. Loy said the cuts won't diminish security, though it's possible they could add some time to the screening process. A 10-minute wait limit is still the goal, he said. Airline security advocate Paul Hudson said the job cuts would compromise airport security unless the TSA improves other parts of the system. For example, he said, buying more van-sized bomb-detection machines would mean fewer screeners would be needed to operate the labor-intensive wands that detect traces of explosives. “These labor cutbacks — unless they're coupled with some other measures to compensate to improve the system further — they will result in an overall reduction in security,” said Hudson, executive director of the Aviation Consumer Action Project. The TSA said it plans to commit about $1 billion for permanent installation of big bomb-detection machines this year. The job cuts address critics in Congress, mainly Republicans, who believe the TSA grew too large too fast. To get around a congressionally mandated cap of 45,000 full-time screeners the TSA hired 9,000 “temporary” workers, most of whom were given five-year contracts. Rep. Harold Rogers, the Kentucky Republican who chairs the House Appropriations homeland security subcommittee, estimates screeners at a third of U.S. airports check an average of three passengers an hour. “TSA threw money at the employee and screening deadlines in a shotgun fashion and over-hired,” Rogers said. “Congress mandated these reductions almost a year ago, and I am pleased TSA is finally starting to make progress.” The cuts are also aimed at keeping staffing levels closer to what is needed at the nation's 429 commercial airports. About 250 airports are expected to end up with fewer screeners and 150 with more. Pittsburgh International Airport and Salt Lake City International Airport, for example, will each lose about 40 percent of their screeners. “We've always erred on the side of security, and at bigger airports you always assumed you needed more people,” said TSA spokesman Robert Johnson. He also said some airports have seen a real slowdown in air traffic. Yakutat Airport in Alaska, which sees business rise with the summer travel season, will go from 1 to 16 screeners. Peter Winch, national organizer for the American Federation of Government Employees, said he was surprised to learn so many screener positions at large airports would be cut. “At so many of the big airports the screeners tell me they're really busy, working overtime and understaffed,” Winch said. The union is fighting the TSA in court for the right to represent airport screeners and has petitioned for elections on collective bargaining at about 20 airports. Skydiving is for cool people only

From SSM: Orly King will be here offering coaching jumps on: Friday May 2nd in the afternoon Saturday May 3rd & Saturday May 10th Do not miss your chance for this is a "one on one" coaching opportunity and the fee is only $35 + slot! Orly will also give a free Informational Seminar on Saturday, May 10th before the Pre-Summer Bash. "I hope to try and share some information that might help some of your jumpers be safer skydivers as well as improve their flying skills."- Orly For more info contact Orly at orlyfree@earthlink.net Skydiving is for cool people only

Michele, try giving us the rig specs and someone will tell you what size reserve will fit. The numbers are probably on the inside of the reserve pin flap. Skydiving is for cool people only

OMG, forget Survivor, we've got the whole cast of Gilligan's Island here! Skydiving is for cool people only

Put my number in your phone! It's 210 -- uh, maybe I should take this to a PM. Skydiving is for cool people only

GREAT! Now strike that hot iron! Skydiving is for cool people only

Was this really the thread for that? Skydiving is for cool people only

Sangiro, because then we could stare longingly at him. Plus he's the only one with an accent. Skydiving is for cool people only

I'm seizing that for my own four-way team! Skydiving is for cool people only

But if you look at my full profile, I'm a "member since" October 19, 2000! That's a lot of bandwidth I've eaten...no wonder I gained weight. Skydiving is for cool people only

GOD DAMN IT...yes, it was me under the Cobalt waving to the camera, because some genius thought letting me jump it when I had 50 jumps and major landing issues was a good idea. All the other Cobalt hijinks on that tape are Eric "PhreeZone" Butthead though. Skydiving is for cool people only

Wow, this is insulting. Do you really not know the difference? Using pot or alcohol to make yourself feel better is called self-medication, and it's not good. You're not getting any better if you are using substances to avoid dealing with your problems. Do you really think someone who drinks to help him deal with a divorce or something is helping himself straighten out his life? Skydiving is for cool people only

It only affects your ability to get an FAA medical certificate, which you need to haul tandems or have a pilot's license. Skydiving is for cool people only

Touche! Still though...a no-whuffos rule leaves a lot of skydivers dating Mr. Hand. Skydiving is for cool people only

I really wouldn't get in trouble. This is just an ethical question. Skydiving is for cool people only

But if only 15 percent or so of skydivers are female, doesn't that mean at least 85 percent of skydiving guys would have to be single? Skydiving is for cool people only

Nah, I wouldn't get in trouble. Skydiving is for cool people only

It's like REALLY LONG. Eighty-four pages. Skydiving is for cool people only

What's the difference between a skygoddess and a normal female skydiver? Skydiving is for cool people only

1. Waitress/shift manager 2. Billing clerk 3. Bookstore employee 4. SAT tutor 5. Academic publications editor 6. Newspaper reporter 7. Newspaper editor Skydiving is for cool people only

I hate pub nights when I'm at work. I can't get in and no one's posting and everyone's having fun without me. Skydiving is for cool people only

You still suck donkey balls though! What about Sunday? I'll be there then. Skydiving is for cool people only

I don't know. I guess the basic question is, how long are you willing to live like that? Two weeks of being depressed is normal, especially after a traumatic event. Maybe even six months. Longer than that -- would you really want to spend years of your life feeling like that? Even if it's only because "life has got you down"? I completely support the use of medication for people like this. Ideally, the course won't be a long one. For me, it's a medical problem. I've been dealing with melancholy my whole life, and major depressive episodes of very impressive proportions for all of my adult life. I'm extremely grateful medication exists for my problem, and that I finally decided to ignore the social stigmas against them. Skydiving is for cool people only

Yep, and we always have been. I just like getting riled up about this subject. Skydiving is for cool people only