wolfriverjoe

Well, there are some pretty good indications that it helped society develop beyond tribal groups. It offered a means of control, without anyone doing the controlling being 'responsible' (Hey, don't blame me because you can't eat bacon, I'm just the chief. God said you can't eat it). In a time when food safety was not understood at all, having those religious restrictions were pretty important. It gave the society a means of limiting selfish behaviors that were detrimental to the society, while encouraging behaviors that were beneficial to the society, while not being beneficial to the individual. Monogamy, murder, theft, those 'commandment' things. And, as was noted, it gave answers to questions that weren't answerable (where did we come from? being the biggest). And comfort and assurances about what happens 'next' (going to heaven and seeing all your dead relatives & friends). The fact that every society came up with some form of religion tells how powerful & necessary those 'needs' are. The fact that every independent society came up with a different origin story, a different after death experience and for that matter, a different God is a strong suggestion that it was all just made up by some dude.

Not really weird. Not a TI, but I've been part of putting together a 'first time jump' once a year for a group of people I hang out with. If it happens this year, it will be the twentieth. It's how I got started and there are two of us that actually kept going and became licensed jumpers. After about 6 years, the guy who started it 'passed the torch' off to us. We had a few folks who would come out and do just that jump once a year. Most were 'one & done'. We started off with static lines and eventually went to tandems when the S/L DZs folded. I got friend requests from a number of those folks. Usually right away. I haven't seen any of them in person since, but that's ok. They will often 'like' my jumping posts, and sometimes comment that they want to do it again (never happens). I'd say hit the TI up with a friend request and a message that you did it. Worst that happens is you get ignored.

Because investigators generally don't tell the press how their investigations are going. They wait until the investigation has reached the point where they are arresting people. They aren't there yet.

Who would be in a position to slow it or bring it to a halt? What scientific information can you show that it isn't happening? I haven't seen any. I keep seeing the 'deniers' being paid shills for a variety of interests (Heartland is one of them). The 'science' they use is suspect at best. Intentionally misleading and fraudulent at worst. I see the 'climate change deniers' in a similar light to the 'creationists'. Both are in serious denial of solid, scientific theories. Theories that have a mountain of evidence behind them, and little or no serious evidence against them. The creationists pretend to have 'evidence', yet none of it stands up to rigorous examination. They also claim that the 'science community' ignores any evidence of them being right. Yet what little 'evidence' they show is either wrong or flat out lies (check out the "Creation Museum" in Kentucky to see what I mean). Yet, if someone were to find evidence (real, solid, scientifically valid evidence) that 'creation' happened, it would stand the world on it's head. It would be highly criticized. It would be 'rigorously examined' (torn to shreds). If it could stand that scrutiny, it would win a Nobel for the discoverers. The same would go for anyone who could show scientific evidence that AGW isn't happening.

Do you ask those folks if they trust the CYPRES or Vigil? And if they've seen the code for those?

Brian Germain has a good article on down sizing. And a chart to go along with it. It's a sticky in the 'Canopy Control' forum. BillVon has a very good article on downsizing in the 'safety' articles. He includes a good checklist of skills you should be able to demonstrate on your current canopy before downsizing. Strongly suggested to only go down one size at a time. It's suggested that the reserve be approximately the same size as the main. Not everyone follows that advice. Some folks like as large a reserve as they can fit in their container. Some companies make rigs that hold tiny mains and reasonable sized reserves. One of the jokes that applies here is: I've never heard anyone look up at their reserve when they needed it and complain that it was too big.

I know a couple smaller, shorter women who are TIs. And a couple shorter guys, although they aren't that short. They basically say 'work smarter, not harder'. They don't have the strength to overpower people, so they need to 'outskill' them (not a real work, I know). The smaller women are excellent jumpers overall, and say that they've gotten better doing tandems. They started off with the smaller students, but as the season went on (both got their ratings in spring and did tandems all summer) they took bigger and bigger ones. If you still aren't sure, talk to the course director. See what he (she?) says.

Can you imagine if one person walked in, said "How dare you!" and walked out. You know, if one person does it, they may think he's real sick and they won't take him. If two people, two people do it, in harmony, they may think they're both faggots and they won't take either of them. And three people do it, can you imagine, three people walking in, saying "How dare you!" and walking out. They may think it's an organization. And can you imagine fifty people a day, I said FIFTY people a day walking in, saying "How dare you!" and walking out. And friends, they may think it's a Movement. And that's what it is. The Alice's Restaurant Anti-Global Warming movement. And all you have to do to join is sing it the next time it comes around on the guitar. (Apologies to Arlo Guthrie)

They still make basic flip phones. I use one. And yes, the battery lasts and lasts (not years, but still a long time). This is a fascinating product. I'm not in the market for an AAD for a while, but I think this one would be worth considering when the time comes. How would the 'shelf life' on the batteries be? 1000 jumps would last me a long, long time (longer than current AADs last).

In general, they are perceived as a threat. Not at this rally, but overall. Often they are arrested. Sometimes they get shot.

Don't forget his pressure on the Fed to lower interest rates. Great way for him to pay less on all the money he owes. But it is also a great way to create inflation.

Good. I'm a big fan of real service animals. I know someone who has a service dog for her mental illness. It's a huge help for her. But I also know a few people who got 'service dog' vests online and use them to take their untrained dog places it really shouldn't go. Tightening up the rules is needed. However, I was thinking that this would have been about something a little bit different. It's been in the media the past couple days. Dude in Brooklyn was 'uncomfortable' on the bus. He wanted a little something to help reduce the stress. So he went online and registered his service 'animal'. A beer. Really. https://nypost.com/2020/01/21/brooklyn-man-registers-beer-as-emotional-support-animal/

#1 - Don't overthink it. That's really easy to do and you seem to do that some (not a criticism, just an observation). #2 - If you are stable on your belly in the tunnel, you are headed in the right direction. Keep in mind that's all you need to do a release dive (level 3?) Turns come later. I'm guessing your 'turn like an airplane' is dipping a shoulder and having that make you turn. It works, but there are better ways. As your instructors noted, it's kind of hard to explain. Turns using your arms & legs will be more controllable, more efficient and have less of an effect on your fall rate. Do you know what speed they were running the tunnel at? I don't have a whole lot of tunnel time, but I tend to run the tunnel a good bit slower than 'real' freefall. Partly because if I'm alone in the tunnel, I don't have to keep down with other jumpers. I tend to fall pretty slow.

Well, the "MSM" is complicit too, to a degree: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/01/15/this-media-failure-really-could-help-trump-politically/

Far more the misogynist male view that is so prevalent in most religions.

I am far from being a fan of HRC. But can someone explain to me why the Secretary of State is responsible for the military response to the attack on the embassy? Anyone else remember the Somalia incident (Black Hawk Down)? US Soldiers died because the military response was inadequate. IIRC, Pakistani forces were supposed to be the rescue force and failed to act. The then SecDef, Les Aspin was the one who resigned over it. Not Warren Christopher.

On a somewhat similar note, I know of several people who have had serious accidents swerving to avoid a deer. One of those cost a friend her life. Hit the deer, squirrel or whatever.

Well, on the other hand, he claimed he could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and get away with it. So far, he's committed numerous felonies, violated international law and threatened to commit war crimes. And the Republican party keeps on ignoring those crimes.

All very true. I'm not an owner or operator so I really don't know the numbers. Yours sound reasonable. As an aside, I know that a 'start error' by the battery box guy on an Otter can be expensive too. As can a takeoff over-rotation error. I don't expect to see any of these in the first few years after release (not sure how soon that will happen - certification is not a rapid process). But I don't think it's going to take 15 or 20 years for them to become viable jump planes. Yes, that's a lot of 'wiggle room'.

Dear God. Control and Chaos in the old "Get Smart" were more plausible than this load of bullshit.

In the 'Grand Scheme of Things', you are right. No action that I take has any real effect on the Universe. It's too big. The Total Perspective Vortex showed this. But to think that I can take any action, and it has no effect and because of that, 'morality' doesn't exist is a pretty disingenuous position to take. It has effect on other people. And those other people can then take action that affects me. That's called 'society'. And, not surprisingly, the mores of any given society dictate it's acceptable and unacceptable actions. As a fairly extreme example, would it be moral for me to kill someone? Reality says 'it depends'. In some societies, the level of 'acceptable' killings is quite strict. In others, its much more lax. There are societies that permit 'honor killings'. The murder of one's child because they brought 'disgrace' on the family. There are other's that frown upon killing, even in self defense. The laws in the US have relaxed a good bit in recent years, but even up until the 1990s, there were states that didn't permit 'self defense' killings unless the killer was defending himself, his family or his servants. And the killer had to show he had done everything possible to avoid the killing, including fleeing his own home at risk to himself (situations like jumping out of a second story window). "Morality" is an entirely human construct. As is religion. The former is necessary for society to function. The latter is a big aid in enforcing the former. The 'morality enforcement' that religion brings is one reason that religion flourished in early societies.

It abdicated it's responsibility in order to gain power. Disenfranchising voters. Gerrymandering districts to gain unfair advantages (court rulings confirmed this). Outright voter fraud (funny that they used that as an excuse for the voter disenfranchising). Flat out refusing to do their job (hold confirmation hearings). Putting power before the country's well being (McConnell himself said so). Their embracing of a monster is not the problem, just a further symptom of the real problem.

The difference between an 11% arrest rate and a 15% arrest rate is over 25%. Over one quarter more blacks are arrested. Or 3/4 the number of whites are arrested, compared to blacks.

Ya know? That's kind of a funny thing. How many articles of impeachment could the House bring? Felony campaign finance misdeeds? Cohen went to prison for them, Trump is an 'unindicted co-conspirator.' The only reason Mueller didn't charge him was because of the opinion of the Justice Dept that a sitting president can't be indicted. Tax evasion? There's a fair amount of indications of that. Money laundering? Again, strong indications of that. Fraud? Trump U settled the lawsuit, several states were pursuing charges until Trump bribed the state's Attorneys General. Bribery? See above. Sexual assault? Lots of accusations. Gotta wonder what info about Trump was in Epstein's safe. The list could be pretty long.

Bingo. There are now reports coming out that the attack had nothing to do with Iran, nukes or terrorism. It was all about getting R Senators to 'owe' Trump in advance of the Impeachment 'trial' in the Senate.