NWFlyer

Let's start a support group - Fruitcake Lovers Anonymous, because I'm right there with you if it's a really good fruitcake. I think I got it from my dad - he loves the stuff too. My favorite is one is from Harry & David - I usually get my dad one of those for Christmas every year. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Like you, reading about Harper Lee inspired me to re-read it a couple years ago, too, for the first time as an adult. I loved it as a kid, and though I'd watched the movie a few times in the interim, I hadn't read the book. The movie is strong in its own right, but just by virtue of being a film, it misses a lot of the subtlety of the book. I was quite literally floored by just how great that book is, reading it now. I have so much more context for good vs. not so good writing now than I did 30ish years ago when I first read it. Reading it now I think I was able to appreciate it on a whole new level. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

So disability is their only other option. Another thing that occurs to me is that sickly and disabled people didn't used to live as long as they do now; now they live a lot longer, drawing the check. And it's hard to argue too much with some of their stated disabilities. Wendy P. I've been listening to the program on my walks to/from work the last couple days, and I think what stunned me the most is how this is really hidden from the macroeconomic numbers; in other words, our economy is worse than it looks because these folks don't show up on welfare rolls and they don't show up in unemployment numbers. And yet in a way they really are "disabled" in that there are no jobs that they are qualified for that they could physically do (all the jobs they could qualify for involve standing or lifting or other capabilities that they don't have, even though perhaps they could function in a sit-down job). The anecdote that stood out to me was the interview of the woman who really couldn't conceive of sit-down jobs, but then the reporter noted that her local community really didn't have many of those, and it's entirely possible that she hadn't observed those jobs. It definitely made me think; on the one hand, I don't like the apparent abuse of the original intent of the program; on the other hand, folks really are "disabled" in the sense that the current economy can't provide jobs they are physically capable of doing. It got me out of my bubble thinking, that's for sure - I know that for myself, I am in a job that could be done with little or no modification by someone with a wide range of disabilities; the only disability scenario I've contemplated that would have me no longer working is one of an extreme and profound nature (traumatic brain injury or something else that would cause me to be mentally unable to do my job, or a fairly major physical disability). Being a skydiver, I know I'm putting myself at higher risk for that kind of thing, which is why I spend money every month on long-term disability insurance in the event the worst happens and I'm unable to work to support myself. Otherwise, I'd see myself continuing to work through a range of less profound disabilities, should they occur. But I also have a combination of experience and education that makes me highly employable in a wide variety of roles; this story really got me thinking about the meaning of disability when your employability isn't that great to start with. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I'm not all that much into sci-fi/fantasy, but these are sort of in that wheelhouse and you might enjoy them (I did): Sort of in the sci-fi/dystopian future category... 2030 by Albert Brooks (yes, THAT Albert Brooks) Ready Player One by Ernest Kline Little Brother by Cory Doctorow More sci-fi/fantasy-ish Every Day by David Levithan The Magicians by Lev Grossman And, in the creepy dark humor category, any of Gillian Flynn's books. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

From my understanding yes. I was not there and receives information second hand FWIW. It failed the second time as well. I do not know the exact number of yeas and nays for each time however. Last I looked the votes were not published but that was the same day still. http://www.uspa.org/NewsEvents/News/tabid/59/Default.aspx#32798 The quick post-meeting summary that's posted after every meeting. Detailed minutes (which I believe should include the vote tally) usually take longer to complete & make available. They're posted on this page (scroll down on the right): http://www.uspa.org/AboutUSPA/USPABoardofDirectors/tabid/140/Default.aspx "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Or we could just ban the subsidies that make those items (as well as soy-, wheat- and sugar-based processed foods, feedlot meat, industrial oils, etc.) ubiquitous and "cheap." "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

While I agree with your points, I've also heard complaints of "I can't find anything" from newer jumpers who are only looking in the complete systems section of the classifieds. Or haven't tried using the "wanted" feature (or have used it but with fairly unclear headlines/text). Or aren't ready/able to "pull the trigger" quickly on a piece of gear, and thus the seller moves on to the next person in line. I know that I've personally been most successful in my own used purchases when I keep an eye on the classifieds daily, and when my first message to the sender includes the words "I will buy it - how can I send payment?" (Doesn't mean I don't also try to negotiate on price or shipping if appropriate, but it means I'm making it clear I'm a serious buyer with cash in hand ready to act). I've sold modern used gear (mains & reserves) in the noob range (230/210 mains, 218 reserves), and it's not like I've received 20 responses in a day. Most moved within a week or so, but in that time I only had a few serious inquiries. What that leads me to believe is that newer jumpers may need more guidance from their local experienced folks in how to find and piece together gear. They also need help in assessing the value of used items and being able to make a quick decision on whether they want to move forward with a purchase. That's where I imagine a lot of newer jumpers struggle, and it's understandable that they do - it's tough for them to know if a piece of gear, as described, seems to be fairly priced. (This is assuming they already know that it's an appropriate choice for them). That's where programs like this demo program can come in handy, or where gear dealers that will help their customers find used gear (or piece together a combination of used and new components) can be really helpful. I'm sure there are others who do this kind of stuff, but I'll use Bonnie at Gravity Gear as a perfect example - she's reached out to me a couple of times when I've been selling used gear because what I'm selling might be appropriate for one of her customers. And she's usually trying to get a better deal out of me, which is value add for her customer! When I was a noob, I combed the classifieds with trusted advisers looking over my shoulder, and IIRC I didn't have to wait all that long to find an appropriate container/reserve (though at the time I'm sure it seemed like FOREVER it was probably only a couple of weeks). I found my main by putting up a wanted ad, and was contacted by a large dealer who had something in stock that was perfect. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I've seen that done as a Safety Day activity at dropzones - a handful of rigs are "rigged" with problems, and the Safety Day participants list as many as they can then check to see if they caught everything. If you've got 50+ people participating in a Safety Day event, taking the time and effort to set something like that up can be very worthwhile and it gets everyone (including those well past student status whose gear checks may be on "auto-pilot" to focus on the topic). Of course, it's even more fun to put one perfect rig in there (fun to watch everyone struggle to find what is "wrong" with that one. ) So, maybe suggest that (or even help organize) for your dropzone next Safety Day. One way to make it easy to do is to use rigs that are already in the loft for repacks (with the owners' permission, of course). "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

She sounds like a pretty awesome woman. Thanks for sharing. Sorry for your loss. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Cool find! I read No Easy Day recently and found the attached photo of the author's gear also showed his love for skydiving (look carefully

Also, pay attention to who is jumping. If it's all people with less than 200 jumps and tandem/video, think long and hard about whether you really want to be in the air. Look at what the longtime locals (who aren't working) are doing. If they're sitting on the ground watching others get experience, maybe you should join them. The last couple weekends at my home DZ have sucked, wind-wise. The winds have been coming from the north/northwest, and have been high, gusty, or both. At my DZ, that's about the worst direction for winds to be coming from, because they're coming over a stand of trees, or over DZ buildings and nearby hangars. Watching the wind sock on Saturday, it was not only going up and down, but also side to side, and despite the anemometer readings that sounded okay (11-14 mph) I stayed on the ground a while longer while watching the sock bump around like it was. Others went up, but I like to see a long stretch of reasonably consistent winds before I'll get in the air after the air has shown itself to be that unsettled. I'm a wind wuss, but I'm totally okay with that. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I'm pretty sure that the maintenance (or lack thereof) on Lodi's Otter did not actually contribute to this particular jumper's problem. Look, I get it, I'm a local, I know that the Lodi situation is hotly debated; I have my own opinions on the subject, but this seems like a stretch to bring it into this particular discussion. I'm also pretty sure that paying more for the same aircraft at a different location is not in the slightest bit unusual in this sport; every year I happily pay $5-7 more per jump to jump out of Skydive Arizona's planes at Lost Prairie than I would in Eloy, jumping out of the exact same aircraft flown by the exact same pilots and supported by the exact same ground crew. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I noticed one thing in this video... paying Byron prices yet jumping the Lodi Otter. Not sure what your point is. Are you suggesting that dropzones can't set their own jump prices even if they're bringing in outside aircraft? "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

The only time I worry about how productive or unproductive someone else is, is when it impacts my ability to get my work done (or my team's ability to get its work done). In that case, I will first attempt to work directly with the person involved to figure out how to get the work out of them that I need to complete my work; if that doesn't work, I'll escalate to their manager. Otherwise, it's not my problem to solve and anything said winds up making me look bad. Lots of times, I find that what I might perceive as productivity problems are due to competing priorities, or unclear expectations of what someone was supposed to do. That's why when I'm managing a project, I make it very clear what I need from people (or teams), how much time I expect it to take, and when it would need to be done. I get the commitment of their management that they can prioritize that work. That way, when we end up with an issue, we've got some clear expectations to go back to and negotiate from. On my old team with my current company, there were peers of mine where I really did wonder what they did all day. I didn't see them actually produce any useful work, and I'm not really sure what value they added. From time to time, another (productive) peer and I would gossip a bit about it with each other, but we'd just keep our heads down and do our work well since we weren't actually relying on that peer for the work we were doing at the time. Of course, both of us have moved on, partly because after a while of working on a team like that, you start to wonder how value is being measured; if you're working hard and working smart and producing good work that adds value, you start to feel under-valued if you see others on the team that don't appear to be doing much useful work (if any at all). You realize that in such an environment your growth opportunities are probably more limited if the organization isn't good at measuring actual contributions, so you move on. But whining about how "Joe over there isn't working as hard as me" doesn't do much but make you look like the bad guy, and as others have said, life ain't fair. Suck it up and do what you need to do to do well at your own work. The team I'm on now (same company, different business unit) is all about results - clearly defining expectations for everyone on the team, and tracking the actual execution of the work and value delivered in pretty explicit ways. The expectations of me and the rest of the team are high, but everyone who stays with the group consistently meets those expectations. Sure, we've got some people who are more and less productive, but out and out slacking isn't going to happen, and the less productive folks are challenged to up their game or move on. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Several years ago I read Dan Savage's book "The Kid," the story of how he and his partner adopted their son. He makes pretty much the same point, with a lot of detail added about the level of scrutiny (by adoption agencies and/or the birth parent) that adoptive parents (regardless of their sexual orientation) must go through to adopt. Does it mean that it's perfect and there won't be any bad adoptive parents? Of course, not, but it does mean that adoptive parents have to work pretty hard to become parents and be ready (and demonstrate that readiness to an outside party in most cases). "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

So far I think we have the following: Probably too gay: 1) Women who have short hair. 2) Transgender people. 3) Any gays who wish to become parents via IVF. 4) Elton John 5) Bisexual men who get married to each other. 6) Heterosexuals who have extramarital affairs 7) People who tell OHCHUTE what kind of sporting equipment he can own 8) Ellen 9) Anyone who visited a San Francisco bathhouse in the 70s Possibly not too gay: 1) Gays who wish to adopt who don't fit into one of the categories above. 2) Gays who become parents by being closeted in straight marriages. 3) Bisexual chicks who are with a dude (so long as the chick does not have short hair in which case, see #1 above). Did I miss anything? "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Trying to be funny about the very awkward phrasing in your subject line. Whoosh. I've spent a lifetime trying to hybridize pedantry with standup comedy. It's a lonely enterprise. Noble, but lonely. We should start a support group. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Trying to be funny about the very awkward phrasing in your subject line. Whoosh. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

So your headline was right. They were only suspected to be 10 years old. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Ah, but we have that old innocent till proven guilty thing in this country, so we do need to be thoughtful with our language. And having picked up a Type 1 Diabetic friend from the hospital after he'd been picked up by the cops and taken in via ambulance after (fortunately) only having run off the side of the road on an exit ramp and passed out in his car... there are other explanations for erratic driving behavior, even in young people. (Is it likely, no, but possible, I suppose. I'd hate to have seen my friend go to jail because the cops thought he was DUI... when in fact he was just having a severe blood sugar issue). "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Depends. How many kids have you gay adopted or gay IVFed so you can gay parent them to turn them gay (or at least in support of the Radical Gay Agenda(TM))? Because if it's more than two, the Prius becomes less practical. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Joe Biden tripping over his own words and committing a verbal gaffe? Call me when you've got some actual news. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Alaska's allowed it for a while. We stayed in a B&B on the Kenai Peninsula a few years ago and the proprietors told us about the program - basically, there's a list for each jurisdiction (county, maybe?) of people who want to be called when there's roadkill that needs to be removed. Once the police are notified that there's a carcass on the side of the road, they just move down the list in order (I think they said you could only refuse a certain number of times before you were taken off the list) and the person who says yes goes and picks up and processes the animal at their own cost. For areas like Alaska or Montana that are mostly very rural, it's a win-win. It saves the state/county the cost of removal (which could be pretty high given how far crews might have to travel) and it provides the local residents with a (potentially) great source of (almost free) meat. Our B&B friends said they'd gotten some great venison and moose meat that way. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

So this thread is really about population control? Took you long enough to get to the point. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Well, that's a rather Modest Proposal. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke