RhondaLea

Why don't you try to understand that there is no possible right answer? What is called for is an apology. That's all. A simple apology. Instead, you have tried to justify it, make light of it, defend it. It is worse than inappropriate; it is indefensible, it is mean. Just apologize or stfu. Can I make it any plainer than that? rl if there is no right answer, why should i shut the fuck up and do what you say?... surely, i'm as right as you are You misunderstand me. There is no excuse for what you wrote. You continue to try to justify it. My reference to "answer" arises from your use in describing those attempts. There is no right answer. An apology is not an answer. Show some sensitivity, admit when you are wrong, apologize. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Why don't you try to understand that there is no possible right answer? What is called for is an apology. That's all. A simple apology. Instead, you have tried to justify it, make light of it, defend it. It is worse than inappropriate; it is indefensible, it is mean. Just apologize or stfu. Can I make it any plainer than that? rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

You don't need a spellchecker as long as you have a spelling nazi. I wasn't sure if you were just making fun of me or if you were talking about the circus that is Bridge Day. It does seem odd to use the word "control" in the same sentence, when I think about it. It really isn't like herding cats. It's more like herding skunks. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Yes. They have. And some of us are still suffering traumatic psychological injury as a result. I love you, Faber. If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

You were a hoot, Mike. I didn't stop laughing at that wonderful, ironic humor that seems to be the hallmark of your personality. What I enjoyed most, however, was the conversation I had with your son a few nights before. He's so proud of you (and of his mother too). He's a great kid, and any parent would be blessed to call him "son." rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

I guess I'm old, but if I'm going to have sex with someone, it's not going to be only oral sex. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

I don't think that's a bad idea. Why don't you quit while you're ahead there sunshine. I hope you really can't be stupid enough to alienate yourself on the largest skydiving website in the world right? Or maybe you are... Jen I 'spect he fails to realize that his instructors et al. probably read here too. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Laugh, and the whole world laughs with you... tell one slightly inapropriate joke... you get flayed alive The sort of person who can make a comment like yours in the face of someone else's heartfelt grief is the sort of person I cut out of my life without an iota of regret. I feel fortunate that you live across the pond. I hope I never run into you anywhere. You have made me wish that dz.com had killfiles, or in the alternative, that this were rec.skydiving, where I could flame you hairless. Edited to add: In spite of your own experiences with grief, you obviously lack empathy for the grief of others. There's a name for that, and it is characterized as a personality disorder. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

So where shall we hold the tea party? rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

I made it up. Okay, you're right. It's old. But, more seriously, it varies from year to year. In 2003, which had a relatively low fatality rate compared to the three years prior thereto ('99 was a relatively good year; '98 was a fucking pathetic horror show), the magic number was 1 fatality per 79026 jumps made. I can't find the numbers for 2004. But that just makes 1 in 7500 base jumps look even worse. Still, I think both are misleading figures. And I wish we had the means to collect accurate data. rl P.S. Re "hilarious," PM sent. If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Sometimes just a blood test will solve the problem--memory loss is one of the hallmarks of thyroid disease, and current estimates are 6-8 million people walking around out there with undiagnosed thyroid problems. rl P.S. My doctor failed to do the thyroid panel. I had MRIs, CATscans, and I saw five specialists. I was then diagnosed with MS. I don't have MS. Sometimes medicine goes into overkill, to the detriment of the patient. If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

No I have fortunately not seen anyone burn in. I hope I never will. If I say 1, will that not be enough? Or if I say 10, does that somehow validate my feelings on the matter? I have, but the # is moot. The 10th one you have seen, will more than likely shock you as much the first. Just a speculation though. I wonder if you know deep down inside you that it can happen to you as easily as it can happen to anyone. I think that carnage video serves a very important purpose in educating skydivers about their own mortality. Having seen carnage up close and personal, I don't feel any need to see such video (although I've seen some), and while I don't know if it should be part of the first jump course, I do think that sometime before a skydiver gets off student status, s/he should be acquainted with the harsh realities of this sport. I've run into too many people who have the idea that it can't happen to them--that dead people get that way because they're stupid. But that's not usually the case. Anyone can make a mistake, and when someone does, survival is often just a matter of dumb luck. This really isn't an ethical issue, you know, but more of a practical one. In the good old days, death was up close and personal for everyone. People died at home, sometimes from old age, but more often from disease and accidents. And the entire family participated in the death process. Nowadays, we have managed to distance ourselves from death. Even what we see on the news is sanitized, and what we see in movies...well, no matter how realistic it appears, we know it's just acting. The wrongness of this is brought home to us by the popularity of such sites as rotten and ogrish. We are fascinated by death, because it comes to us all, and no one knows what lies beyond. And yet, we now have a generation to whom death is almost unreal instead of merely a fact of life. If it takes watching the death of another skydiver to bring home that death is very real and that the reaper ever waits, then I'm all for it. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

You spelled "hilarious" wrong. If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Have you ever seen someone bounce? and How many friends have you lost to skydiving accidents? rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Do you have any other symptoms? If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

I've said this before... ...an organic kegel wand is a lot cheaper and easier to use. Also, the attachment can be programmed for massage. It does have a downside, though... rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

You forgot the part about "who are you and why do you want to know?" I laugh every time I think of it. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

I love you, rl. Unfortunately, I'm not the person here who needs to get laid. But I'll keep it in mind. You just never know what's going to happen next. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Love and trust? After that? Dude, you don't have to love and trust anybody. Yeah, it sounds really wonderful, without it most poetry/song lyrics would crumble into nothing, and you may have a huge desire for it, but you really don't fuckin' need it. "No, son, let's walk down and fuck 'em all." Bitter party of one! Okay, okay. He has the opportunity to get some new pussy. Happy now? rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

And the saga continues, Last night I call her up to talk and just set things straight and talk, Well she tells me she is running out to walmart with her roomate, funny thing is her roomates car is at home, so I call her back and she tells me she just got home, Then knowing she was caught in the lie, she admits that she is with Joe.(co-worker). LYING B**CH. damn was I pissed. Well her excuse I didn't want you to get mad, and I wanted to talk so I lied. and no they haven't done anything according to her, but I don't know what to believe, OH Well sorry I had to vent. I guess that is the magic of breaking up. you don't need to give a shit anymore!!! Unless you broke up with her because she was seeing him before you broke up with her, and that's the reason you broke up with her, you don't have a gripe. Breaking up means you no longer have "property rights." Anything she does after the breakup has nothing to do with you. Why are you still calling her, anyway? You have the opportunity to move on with your life, find a girlfriend you can love and trust. It's all good. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Spammers should be shot on sight. No mercy. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Well now I feel better.

It must be a blue moon or a full moon or something, Nick, because I don't think Nitro--or anyone--dumped on him. What I read in his post was that first-time skydiver enthusiasm transferred to base. It's wonderful, but it doesn't take into account the perils of the sport, and it's the last sport in the world that anyone should be encouraged to take up. There are a lot of people who had to beg, borrow or steal a mentor, and they probably have better attitudes than those who had it handed to them, so don't knock someone's very important rite of passage. It was good to see you over the weekend, Nick. You shoulda smacked me when you had the chance. rl P.S. As you know, Nick, I had 36 airplane jumps (and I was a static line student, not AFF) when I made my first bridge jump, and I did a whole lot better than some people with many, many more skydives. It's not about how many skydives someone has. It is, however, about having an inculcated respect for a sport that is in no way forgiving to anyone. It is also about getting an education for oneself that is thorough enough to make one realize that base is not for everyone--and probably not even for everyone who makes a bridge jump. If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

No. It's not the same. The provision was rewritten before, now it simply doesn't exist. If we don't get the reg "adjusted," base in national parks is just as screwed as it was before. There are so many reasons not to issue the permit, it defies the imagination. I can't see that anyone is ever going to be able to come up with a compelling reason to persuade NPS to issue a permit. Worse yet, the policy, as previously written, was a very good reason for a lawsuit. It would've been easy to attack the policy on the basis of its absolute nature, but it will be much harder to attack the reg. rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

Nothing except violation of 36CFR2.17. The regulation prohibiting aerial delivery remains in full force and effect. Only the policy specifically prohibiting base jumping has been elided. Edited to add: What Gardner seems to be counting on is this: (3) Delivering or retrieving a person or object by parachute, helicopter, or other airborne means, except in emergencies involving public safety or serious property loss, or pursuant to the terms and conditions of a permit. The question is, will NPS issue a base permit to anyone, ever? rl If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb