DougH

I doubt it is completely free of other people. It isn't a closed track! I live on a country road that is pretty "open". But there are also house, with driveways. The speed limit is 50 but the average speed is more like 80. My favorite are the bikers that go by at 100 plus. And this is during the middle of the day. Sure 99% of the time no harm, but if the other 1% came along and some one was leaving their driveway it would be bad! Selfish driving. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

All that proves is that the brake lamp was illuminated. It doesn't rule out excessive speed and a last minute brake application that is too little to late. Doesn't rule out that he was depressing the gas and brakes. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

That is the complete truth, but your not telling the whole story. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Pissed? No. . Your statement "I said his commentary is one-sided and blaming the Reps for everything, which is bullshit." says otherwise. You say he's spouting bullshit, and you also agree with him. A wee bit of inconsistency there, Mike. Fact is, an ICON of Republican fiscal policy has put the boot in and you can't deal with it. Why is it inconsistent? I agree with what he says but I think he failed to address failings of the other party. I read the article and I don't see him defending the actions of the democratic party? He just didn't address that part of the equation. I think both sides are screwing us and mortgaging our futures for their own personal gain, and their political careers. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

You were taught in your first jump course how to fly a landing pattern and land in a safe area. Your jumping, your the one who might get hurt, so get yourself down safe. You may hurt yourself a little, your may cripple yourself for life, you may die, or you may only get at worse bumps and bruises over a very very long time in the sport. What probability for each scenario can you live with? "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

True banker post... if your profession in your profile is correct. Sounds like you made your choices already, but I thought it would be amusing to put this in accounting terms. If you plan on being in the sport for a long time, instead of some one the loose interest and fizzles out in a year or two, you can think long term in accounting for the extra cost. Match the cost with the years you are going to beneifit from your training, which would be every year you spend in the sport. Whamo... matching principal, GAAP accounting for skydiving. 1200 dollars extra, or 1200 dollars less, is immaterial when you amortize the cost across your expected time in the sport. If you plan on hanging out for the long haul. If you hanging around for twenty years it is only 60 bucks a year extra or less. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I had the pedel in my A4 stick in the down position on two occassions. A little 4 cycl turbo will gain speed FAST! The cause was a crappy floor mat my Grammie got me that had my name on it. Sorry Grammie, that mat went to the landfill after the second time! Scared me, but I kept a cool head and kick the pedal up and the mat away. If that didn't work I would have dropped the auto in nuetral, pulled onto the shoulder and braked. Then killed the engine so it wouldn't over rev. The cause of these accidents weren't sticky gas pedals, they were sticky brains. We see it in skydivers all the time, panic and freeze. Adrenaline and pulse goes up, and cognitive thinking goes down down down. Too bad we had to drag a company through the mud because of operator error, but I think that had a political motivation behind it. Mob mentality to boot! Seems we don't lynch young black boys without trial like we used to back in our darker days. Now the public and their bull dog congressional representatives go after companies and their shareholders instead. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I agree with 99% of that article. Our government, on both sides of the aisle, have run the train of the tracks big time. I am glad I don't have any kids, I would have a tough time passing this sinking ship off to them. I am 99% sure that we no longer have the ability or the will to get things going in the right direction. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

That show makes my spleen bleed. The south park episode was better. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I never watched this show before, but I saw it mentioned before in a search so maybe the discovery channel folks have done this concept before. A group of people are given the pretext that there has been a biological disaster, and a dropped off into what looks like a condemed post Katrina town. Last night was the first episode. They picked a beat up building with a bad roof and no thought to security. They gave intel and supplies to three outsiders, who by the end of the episode came back with a gang of 30 who kicked their asses and took their supplies. They are fighting with electrical conduit. Where are the spears, flame throwers, and other fun stuff? Not even a lock on their door. I think I would have went with a double entry way with spear holes to despense any invaiders. If they do make deadly weapons, how do they use them? It is a show after all. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Forget offsets. Practice what you preach. A super insulated 1600 sqft raised ranch should be just fine for the windbag. Just another rich elitist who wants to change the world by forcing a change in YOUR life. What does he care, he has the cash to absorb any changes to his lifestyle, to bad if you can't do the same. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Jim, I am going to miss you. Thank you for all the safe takeoffs, rides to the altitude, and that one smooth landing. I wont forget that one landing. You showed up at CPI and we knew the weather was wintery crap but somehow between Bob, Ariel, Rob and I we convinced you to break out the 182 and get her preflighted. We could see the snow off the end of the runway. I still laugh when I remember how fast after take off that now squal popped up. And I laugh even more when I remember your response... this is fuckin stupid!! Somehow the rest of us thought it was a hoot, but you didn't until we touched back down. That was the first time I can remember landing in a jump plane. I am glad we got to meet up in Florida this winter. You really were enjoying your move down to florida. I just wish you were still here with us enjoying it. Blues skies Jim. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

You have too much time on your hands! Have you considered learning knitting? Too bad SC isn't gainfull employement. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I saw another cop unholster something on another snow storm/snowball fight in DC. It was a white cop, was it a tazer and not a gun? "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I had a pair of cargo shorts that had "webbing" in the bottom of the short legs. More fashion then function. Those shorts were so worn out that the webbing mostly burst free and beat down my unmentionables!!! "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I think we are going to rapidly pass the point where a near 100% tax on the rich, on corporations, etc. won't clean up this mess. Our kids and our future economy is fucked. Nothing like spending a million dollars of our childrens borrowed future, and compounded interest, to "create" a single vapor-wear stimulus job, or get some equipment operator some overtime pay. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Blue Skies Steve. Thank you for those few wingsuit jumps. You were so generous to share your time, your warmth, awesome additude, and your knowledge. Almost all of my few wingsuit jumps were coach jumps with Steve, right away I was so impressed with Steve's personality, and his encouragment. I will aspire to show others in my life the spirit that you showed me. My heart goes out to all of Steve's family and loved ones, I hope you may find peace, I am so sorry for your loss. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Local CT station just ran a story last night, I have to see if I can track it down. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

If you can't afford it, don't buy it. Then again, the government can't afford this shit, but they do it anyway. Lead by example!!! Take another inch of foreign lender rod... ugnghhh yay! "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Medicare is going broke right? They also underfund procedures and have costs passed on to other private insurance companies? Maybe I am missing how they are a great example? You are right, executives can take companies for a ride ala Kenith Lay. But in my opinion this is the exception not the norm. When the CEO or the BOD is riding the company off the rails the stockholder can directly step in and vote them out. On the other had the US people can't directly vote out a goverment program head, and even if they can influence this area with politics, it takes a whole election cycle to do so. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

That's exactly my point. There is nothing about the private sector that makes it inherently more efficient than the public sector (or vice versa). I don't think that proves your point any more than it disproves your point. In my opinion government programs, and private enterpries, are two very different things with different characteristics. I think most government spending has some common inherent characterstics that lead to inefficency: The feedback mechanism between those spending the money, and those providing the money is much longer and convoluted than the private sector. Government programs suffer from a spend it while you got it mentallity. This is the mentality that if you don't spend what you were budgeted you won't get it next year. If politics and government is so effiecient then where are all the examples of successful government spending programs? "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Reality is not consistent with your comments. Yes you can find government and private models that are both efficient and inefficient but overall I disagree. At the end of the day private models that are inefficient, barring government intervention, will fail. Balance sheets and P&L's can only twisted for so long. Eventually you run out of cash, new creditors can't be secured, stock holders stage a revolt, but in the end if the government stays out of it a failed business model is eventually doomed. Politics just don't operate with that eventual closure. Government programs have constituents, supporters, lobbyists. They can operate for ever, regardless of purpose or results, as long as there are political supporters. Companies eventually anwser to shareholders, creditors, and the reality of business. Government programs anwser to some agency, that anwsers to some congressional committee, who anwsers to the voters that actually bother to get off the couch on election day. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Because the bitter and jealous care. This is just as much about providing the "saftey net" as it is knocking those evil rich bastards down a peg or two. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I recently ran into this myself. I was dancing for joy when a SA manuf. found some of the old ZP, gelvanor, left in a closet. Yay! Gimmie gimmie, I love that stuff. Unfortunately I forgot to account for the extra size in my main packjob. It fits into my Icon I2, but a new dbag is in order. The 104 packs way thicker, than a similar sized ZP canopy. That being said I will take this fabric any day over the new stuff. It wears like Iron, packs like F111, and the colors kick ass too. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I am sure it had an engine, but those engine bays were massive. My non engineer guess is that the offset crash wasn't lined up with the engine at all. I don't think it is BS. I would rather be in my 03 Audi in a head on that my 95 Montero with the huge steel bumpers and stuff. I would rather be in either of them than a relic. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P