Richards

1. Whats your name? Richards 2. How old are you? 34 3. Why did you decide to start jumping out of airplanes? A freind tried it and said I would find it fun. I only meant to do one jump but I kinda got hooked. 4. Are you single or taken? Married 5. Do you have kids? No 6. What do you drive? Public transit. 7. Have you ever done a kisspass? Yes 8. Where do you live? Toronto 9. Do you have any pets? No 10. How many jumps do you have? about 150 (I stopped jumping a couple of years ago and I do not have my log book with me but it was around 150) 11. What color eyes do you have? Blue 12. What is your nationality? Canadian with Scottish/Irish heritage. 13. Have you ever dated someone you met off the internet? No 14. Favorite Movie? Anything with Al Pacino 15. What do you do when you arent skydiving? Professional Student. 16. Have you ever BASE jumped? No. 17. If not... do you want to? I might be interested in trying but I do not see it happening unless I become more experienced at normal skydiving. 18. Do you have siblings? 1 sister 19. Where do you want to travel to the most? Mexico 20. What's your favorite color? I don't have one. 21. Where was the last place you flew to ( not skydiving )? Vancouver My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

At this stage right vs wrong is moot. The key question now is how to make the best of a bad situation. At this stage the west needs to realize that a unilateral pullout would leave Iraq in a state of anarchy that would have horrific human consequences for the Iraqi people and set the stage for a Taliban style government to set up shop there with future consequences for America and the west in general. The American leadership seems to implicitly acknowledge that staying in Iraq under the status quo is not viable in the long term. That said the situation is still salvageable. Unfortunately there are many elements in western democracies (including the US) who for whatever reason are drooling at the prospect of seeing the US fall on it's face in this matter. For example, nothing would make the western media happier than to see Iraq turn into a Vietnam type fiasco as that would be more newsworthy than a successful mission (Michael Moorers career depends on the US failing). As a result the US is forced to carry more than their fair share of the burden as countries that could be helping out are standing on the sidelines hoping it will fail, so they can smugly reasure themselve of their moral superiority. It is rather like a surgeon watching another surgeon who is his competitor fail during a real operation and refusing to help (even if it would save the patients life) just because watching his colleague fail is more important than saving a life. Most western countries will eventually bear the shame of knowing that they could have helped in Iraq but chose not to because of some ludicrous anti-US sentiment manifesting itself in a desire to see the US retreat with it's tail between it's legs that took priority over moral obligations. Again it is too late to debate the right or wrong of it. The question now is how to resolve it without further harm to Iraqi people and without creating a larger long term problem (ie pullout is not an option). The rest of the western world needs to get off their high horse and stop mocking from the sidelines and start offering to help in whatever capacity they can. Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

I married a wonderful woman who amazingly enough still puts up with me. Also I took up skydiving . I never had many interests and to be perfectly frank I only intended to do just one jump to have the experience and put it behind me. That led to doing another jump, which led to my deciding that I would just stay in it long enough to do one freefall....etc. It gradually became my primary interest. The rest is history. Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

Guns don't kill people.....Vice presidents kill people. Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

How so? Richards I was just being a smartass (it's what I do). Many of the SC "regulars" don't take your approach... yours is refreshing but somewhat atypical. (Of course you belong here... we need more in here. One of the reasons I avoided SC for so long was that I doubted those type of posters exist, they most definitely do and we need more of them). Im not sure but I think I've just been paid a compliment. Thank you, Richards. My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

***You clearly don't belong here, then. How so? Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

No I do not. It really is a great opportunity to express opinions on hot button topics and hopefully engage in some exciting debate. It is a great eye openner for me as due to the fact that I am being subjected to multiple perspectives I have not considered, and therefore I often find that some of the opinions that I hold very strongly are flawed. My ego is not attached to my argument and therefore I never see it as losing a debate so much as a learning experience. Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

Toronto, Canada. 7:28 PM. COLD! Why do you want to know what I am wearing? Are you a perv? Just kidding. I am a very plain dresser (wife says I have no fashion sense) so khakis and a golf shirt. Cheers, Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

***Drugstores are allowed to refuse to serve people based on religious principles. Wendy, this statement has really piqued my interest. Please let me know specifically what that is all about. Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

***Thats the problem. They are not asking. They are demanding, with the oldest rationale in existence... Do it or I'll kill you your family your kids and anything else that isn't islamic. Its ultima ratio regis ... the last argument of kings. They insist that we are subject to their laws and cave-man religious taboos, and they back it up with bombs and AKs. And our insistence on refusing to acknowledge the supremacy of islamic law over all else drives them utterly insane. So we get muslims even slaughtering each other, just because they're so mad about a bunch of danish cartoons. Wheres the sense in THAT? Poor choice of words on my part. You're right, they are not asking, the are demanding. Rather disturbing isn't it. Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

I think there is a medical term for people who cannot help but bullshit. I do not know the name for it but I saw it on a learning channel documentary. Basically some people are so depressed at being losers who have not amounted to their own expectations (or anything at all for that matter) that they need to create an alternate life which is far more impressive than the one they live. What is sad is that they are so desperate to beleive this stuff that it becomes reality for them and in fact when they are bullshitting they actually beleive their own bullshit. They are excellent manipulators who are almost impossible to get to back down even when confronted with evidence that they are lying. They merely engage in denial of the evidence and work on ways to strengthen their own fantasy. Apparently many of these people can be put on a polygraph and pass because again their own self esteem has depended on beleiving it for so long that it does become reality to them. I knew a guy who I suspect had this. He claimed his father who was some great war hero commando had put him through jump school at age 7, special forces training by age 11, and fighter jet training by his early teens. He also claimed he had gone over to asia and became trained as a ninja. If someone stated their obvious disbelif to him he would avtually get quite violent. He really beleived his own bullshit and could not fathom that other people did not. Some lesser extreme bullshitters (ie not psychologically fucked) will try to interview you before bullshitting so as to avoid the scenario you have described. For example if lying about military backgrounds they will question you first to make sure that you are not military. Upon establishing that you are a no risk bullshit target they will begin. First they will probe the waters by checking to see your tolerance to BS and that will dictate how far they will go. When I was in my late teens I was working as a security guard and I had a coworkor of british descent. He first started telling me how he had been in the british army and entertaining me with stories. Since I never like challenging bullshitters he assumed I beleived him. From there it just got better. He then started with stories of northern ireland; from there he talked about having killed people; then having been ordered to assassinate people; then he started hinting at SAS background ( not sure how this led to him working with me as a minimum wage earning rent-a-cop loser ). Anyway, BS'ers are the greatest form of entertainment and I really feel nothing but pity for them and their self esteem issues, so I generally do not give them a hard time. Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

I cooked dinner for my wife and we spent the evening cuddled on the couch with a bottle of wine. OK it may not sound like the most exciting evening but with both of us having hectic schedules it was actually really nice to just spend time with each other. Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

We simply have to do something about those damned immoral Polyannas Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

Thanks for clearing that up. However as I see it 453 occasional Polygyny(man with multiple wives) and 588 frequent polygyny means a total of 1041 total polygyny. Compared to 4 polyandry(woman with multiple husbands) this again seems a wee bit stacked in the favour of the guys. This again is the primary concern as that implies a greater importance is attributed to men. I suspect that most polygamist societies are not exceptionally liberal when it comes to equality for women. Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

I am not sure if that answers the quaestion as to how many polygamist relationships are; a) One husband-multiple wives b) One wife-multiple husbands c) Husband and wife- each has other spouses Again I suspect that the majority of these relationships are the standard male pig fantasy where a man can get total devotion from each of his wives yet is not beholden specifically to any one and therefore gets to decide which of his "treats" he will take into his bed that night while the others further demean themselves by trying to further ingratiate themselves to him, and compete against each-other for his attention. I could be wrong but I doubt it. Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

While that may be possible and there may be outliers I suspect that most polygamist relationships do fit into the one man multiple wifes mold.Could you perhaps provide some data on the proportion of polygamist marriages that are not one man multiple women? Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

I will try my best to answer to this but there will be innacuracies as I can only speak for Canada which I suspect cannot be that different from the US (several of my cousins are American and seem to be very similar to me). The fact that the majority of our forefathers were of Christian descent would naturally result in many of our cultural norms being closely alligned with religion, however we do not force anyone to partake in Christmas, nor do we stop others from celebrating their holidays. The fact that we have greater public acknowledgement of these holidays is hardly hedgemonious. It has been ingrained into our culture and even most non-religious types still celebrate Christmas as a family holiday. I do not feel that we should feel guilty about this. No country outside of North America has ever felt the need to apologise for public celebrations of holidays that are part of their heritage. I know it is impossible to say what I just said without coming across as a redneck but I do not feel that failure to erase our culture equates to religious domination You can't get married to two women or men, or to someone of the same gender. Every grocery store (well, at least in Texas) has a Christian bookshelf. Everyone that you talk to knows religious references -- "loaves and fishes" "water into wine" will always be understood. Desecrating the cross, while not illegal, is frowned on. Drugstores are allowed to refuse to serve people based on religious principles. It's pervasive and universal. The fact that all of the rules aren't dictated by some single group's interpretation of the Bible doesn't mean that there isn't a strong presumption of the understanding of and identification with Christian symbols and customs.*** Fair enough but again we are progressive and constantly willing to challenge the churches role in politics, even if we still have progress to make. Sentencing journalists is a step backwards Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

Hi again, You have raised fair arguments that religion does stick it's nose into politics, however in our society there is at least the willingness to acknowledge that the church's power needs to be mitigated. With respect to gay marriage the church was not against the concept of civil unions, they merely felt that the term "marriage" held specific religious connotations. For example I do not imagine we could just hold any old party and call it a bar-mitzvah without having the local rabbi raise a few objections. For the record I did not agree with the ban on gay marriage as I do not believe in dictating to someone as to how they may seek happiness in a partner. In Canada we do actually allow gay marriage. With respect to polygamy, I think our society is more concerned about the issue of respect for a womens value. If men are allowed multiple wives then a wife is no longer the soulmate for a man but merely one of his many sex objects/breeders. I realize that I have not considered all factors in this argument and it is a hot button issue however I think the opposition is more societal than religious. To sum up; Yes we still have a way to go in the west with respect to separating church from state but we are at least aware of that and are always willing to question our values so as to move forwrd progressively. The people screaming to censor are asking us to take huge steps backwards. Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

Oh my God. I literally finished posting this and went back to the forum to check my post (1 second later) and already you responded. You are on the ball! Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

Not at all. Christianity and Catholicism oppose abortion yet our laws allow it. The Catholic Church opposes birth control and divorce yet they are not allowed to dictate that to our democratic society. On Southpark they mock Jesus regularly, and while the church is offended, they were not able to censor it. Nobody was censored or sentenced when Maddona masturbated with a crucifix in one of her videos. Many people were highly offended at the tastlesness of it but again freedom of expression was allowed to reign. While our founding principles were based on the religious beleifs of our first settlers I think you would be hard pressed to show evidence of people being forced to submit to religious demands. Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

Place him in a box with only his head sticking out of the top. Force a tube into his throat so he can be force fed bacon and pork-chops (against his religion) and laxatives ( to make him shit all the time). Allow the box to gradually fill with his shit and piss until he is immersed in it and dies slowly from open sores and toxic shock. All the while he should be exposed to gratuitous pornography while the national anthem is blared over a loudspeaker repeatedly 24 hours a day (that will be the last think he will hear). I would be satisfied with that, however there are those who would accuse me of being extreme. Cheers, Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

Burn him at the stake. Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

Very frightenning! It was one thing when Britain was running it as I presume they have gotten over that whole 1812 thing, but letting an Arabic country control the flow of materials into the US is utter foolishness. I am not against globalism as there are strong economic arguments for it but the safety of US citizens has to be factored in. Caution is being thrown to the wind. Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

I sincerely hope these bikers lose their tempers and pound the ever living fuck out of these protesters. Thier actions deserve the utmost contempt. Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

Well then....I stand corrected. I would never have imagined that being possible. The jist of the conversation was that this guy claimed that he had heard that military specialists could jump out at high altitudes and stay aloft for an hour and cover hundreds of kilometers which sounded a wee biy hokey to me. Was the incident you described a one time incident or is that something that coud be easily replicated? Please inform as I am now curious. Cheers, Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.