wolfriverjoe

I'm not 100% sure if this should be here or over in the Bonfire forum. I'm not a moderator. If any of them have strong opinions, it may well get moved. As far as cost goes, a good place to put your feet is to figure $10k to get your A & all the gear. That's not buying brand new stuff, but also not buying ragged out 'gutter gear'. That's including repeating a few levels as you progress. It may be a bit high, but not by a whole lot. If you stretch it out and have to do a bunch of re-currency jumps, plan on more. How to convince your mom? That can be tough. A lot of people, particularly older people, view it as far more dangerous than it really is. Statistics may help some. Contrary to popular lore, it is a lot more dangerous than the drive to the DZ. However, it's approximately as dangerous as riding a motorcycle. One jump has about the same level of micro-morts as 30 miles on a cycle (IIRC, this has been discussed before, search micro morts for more info). What worked for me was to take my mom out to the DZ on a day when I wasn't jumping. She got to see the other guys jumping, how they prepped, how they took care of the gear, how they approached the whole process. She could look at it without any concern for my safety. So that the next time she came out, when I was jumping, she could put the perspective of the previous visit over top of watching me jump. That went so well that she would regularly come out to watch. My current DZ is a 2 hour drive, and she's only been once. Mainly because she doesn't enjoy riding in the car that long. One of the local DZs (half hour away) reopened this year. She enjoyed coming out again, and enjoyed seeing all the familiar faces. And watching us jump. She did enjoy going to the other DZ (apart from 4 hours in the car). She declined a ride along offer in the Otter (it was Mother's Day weekend, and the DZ offers moms a discounted tandem or free observer ride). Given how the Otter descends (straight down), I didn't push it. She enjoyed the welcome that everyone extended, the general atmosphere and vibe, even the typical silliness (the hangar manager offered to let anyone who showed him their balls go home early - at the top of his lungs - 15 feet from my mom). Your mom may or may not respond well to that sort of thing. You know her, I don't. But exposing her to the sport is a way that she doesn't have to actively worry about you is what I would suggest.

Here in the US, if he's done a jump, he's very likely over 18. Very few DZs will risk taking a minor. Not 100% sure, but I think Perris is not one of the few.

And directing a comment towards someone who's been perma-banned for a long time.

It depends on the DZ. Some places will send everyone home, some will have the staff stay, hoping it will improve. It also depends on the forecast. I've heard it said that there's a 100% chance you won't jump if you aren't at the DZ. I've spent a lot of time sitting around waiting. Sometimes it gets better and I've gotten to jump, other times we've just sat around. That doesn't mean that time can't be constructive. I've seen: A USPA Board member and Tandem I/E grab the TIs and spend most of an hour going over Tandem EPs. The S&TA and head instructor grab all the students, along with recent A license grads and sit around going over everything. One thing he repeated was "is there anything you need or want a better understanding of?" A rigger go over gear with anyone who was interested (students and experienced jumpers). Same basic 'is there anything you want to know about?' The pilot sitting and answering questions about the plane, flying, all that (not everything was jump related, but it was still informative). There's also the opportunity to become part of the community. The DZO has said that anyone who makes their first AFF jump is part of the group and welcome to join in the 'non-jumping' activities (cookouts, parties, bonfires, ect). If you plan on continuing jumping, you will need friends to jump with. Hanging out with those people and getting to know them (and letting them get to know you) is important for that. Besides, in addition to the 'instructive' stuff, I've also seen throwing knives, a bull whip, balance rollers, BMX bikes, creeper bowling and a few other things I can't think of right now. Most were being used by people who had some skill, most were offered for anyone who wanted to try. We get a bit silly sometimes.

Canopy includes slider. Toggles, risers, D-Bag, Pilot chute go with the container. Slinks get tossed. Get new ones.

Stay teachable. By that, I mean don't ever forget that you know very little and have a lot to learn. Don't become the '100 jump wonder' who knows everything. Continue to learn. I've heard it said that some skydivers have 500 jumps, others have done the same jump 500 times. Keep showing up. Even if the weather is 'iffy', show up anyway. There's a lot that can be learned on weather holds, just sitting around and talking. Listen more than you talk. At this point, there's very little you can do to impress them with your skills. But you can show a good attitude.

Internationally, his administration is a laughing stock. The recent NATO summit is a good example. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/04/world/europe/trump-video-nato.html And what does he do when that sort of thing happens? Runs away. Like the coward he is.

FIFY

Very true at the present. But it was the Alt-Right and AGW Denier crowd that brought her to prominence. Their hatred, vitriol & bullying were what gave her the exposure and 'celebrity status'. Any idea how many folks address the UN each year? I honestly don't know. I did a quick search, but couldn't find a tally. It has to be 'more than a few'. How many other than Greta's did you hear about? How many other than Greta's did the right wing lose their shit about? I've read a few articles about her. From what I've seen, she seems to be handling both sides of it reasonably well.

Well, the fact that she happens to be right is part of it. "They" hate it when it's pointed out how wrong they are. I don't blame her for being pissed off. She is watching the world be seriously damaged. And nobody is willing to do anything about it. Many deny that it's even happening. Those folks are going to be dead in 20 or 30 years. She's go upwards of 70 years to have to deal with the mess she (and those that will come along with and after her) is being left.

Education. Teach them concepts like healthy skepticism, critical thinking and objectivity. Teach them how to judge sources and see what biases are in the information they are given. Teach them how to evaluate information and how to spot a con. While I'm dreaming, the idea of teaching that prejudice is wrong, that people who believe differently are simply different, not necessarily wrong, and that someone who has lied repeatedly in the past is likely lying now would be nice.

A pair of Carhart workpants and a jersey (one of the performance fabric ones that have become so popular lately). Yes, I'm serious.

Oh hush. You're ruining the narrative that the 'Deep State' is conspiring to lie to us, hide the truth and take over. You're ignoring the clear and obvious items that "Q" is 'dropping', telling us how Trump is going to be 'overthrown' (despite being dead). Don't you get it? We REALLY need a 'sarcasm' font.

Well, of course there has to be an editorial bias. It's utterly impossible not to have one to some degree. The important part is how much it colors the facts. Both in the stories that are presented and the way they are presented. The same story on Fox or MSNBC will have a very different 'flavor'. As with so many other things, getting the whole picture involves getting information from more than one source. Preferably from sources that have opposing views, but openly admit their positions and attempt to present more than 'just their side of the story'.

Pretty much. Most US military installations are. Military Police & security forces are the only ones that have guns, or ready access to them. Private firearms have to be secured in an armory. Issue firearms are stored in the armory, are drawn for specific reasons and returned when finished.

No. You shouldn't be able to do that when you criticize someone he likes. Duh. As a side note, the founders seriously contemplated extending 'freedom of the press' to include immunity from libel. The basic idea was that people were smart enough to see through lies and propaganda. Good thing they didn't follow through on that. However, it's absolutely hilarious to see Trump, Nunes, and the rest of the "Alt-right" make threats to sue the press (NYT, CNN, ect) for stories that expose their hypocrisy, misdeeds and even crimes. Yet virtually never follow through with those threats.

Well, I'll guess that you mean nobody has drawn a monetary dividend. The real 'return on investment' of a club DZ is.. You have a DZ. A place to jump, hang out, be with like folks. If it's anything like my old DZ, you put in the work and enjoy the benefits of being able to jump (at a reduced price, in exchange for 'work credits', that sort of thing). You know, a communal effort. Everyone puts in according to their abilities, and takes according to their needs. Ya pinko commie you (we really need a 'sarcasm' font)

Well, the reaction by Trump and his minions is totally predictable. Barr & Durham (in the story you link) both say the report is wrong. However, Trump & Fox news pull the same stunt they did with the Mueller report. Totally misrepresent it. Quote is from Heather Cox Richardson's FB page. Normiss linked it a few weeks ago and I've been following it. Rather interesting (and scathing) commentary on Trump, the Rs and the hearings. https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/posts/2093064627504259?__tn__=K-R

The rules are federal, not state. Gun Control Act of 1968, which established the Federal Firearms License and the form 4473. Citizens (naturalized & born) and resident aliens (green card holders) are allowed to purchase firearms. Non-resident aliens are prohibited from purchasing or possessing them. There are certain exceptions, but this guy didn't fall under any of them.

Both? They were fighting to reunite their divided country. A country that was divided by the US & Russia after the end of WW2, similar to Korea and Germany. I know you watched Ken Burns' documentary on PBS. It was abundantly clear from the interviews of the VC & NVA that they felt they were doing the 'right thing'. Let me throw this one at you (and I will admit from the beginning that it's a trick question): Let's say there is a country, where the leader is a despot. "Freely' elected (the only candidate on the ballot). But he has a lot of support from the people. Mostly people of his tribe, those who benefit from his rule, those who hold power in the country, but support none the less. A much larger and more powerful country accuses this country of various crimes. Because of totally unrelated events, the populace of the larger country gets behind the leaders and calls for an invasion. Those accusations are complete and total fabrications. The larger country invades, takes over and installs a government of it's choosing (a puppet state, if you will). They hunt down the leader, hold a show trial and execute him. Many of the citizens, mainly those who held some sort of power in the old administration, fight back against the invaders. The puppet government is fairly corrupt and inept. The fight continues for several years. Are those citizens (natural born citizens of the country, many from families that have been there for centuries) who fight against the soldiers of the country who lied to justify the invasion, who stand up and die in a futile attempt to wrest control of their own country from and invader who based their attack on claims that were provably false, are those fighters 'patriots' or 'insurgents'.

Yes it will be cold. Multiple thin layers is best. I won't go up if it's below freezing on the ground (I'm getting old), which can be as cold as -25F or -30F at altitude. If it's cold, I usually wear thermal underwear under jeans and warm socks. T-shirt, thermal shirt, long sleeved T-shirt, pullover sweatshirt (no hood). Jumpsuit over all of that. Neck buff (gaiter, warmer, whatever) and gloves. Gloves are critical. Too thick and you lose dexterity. Too thin and you lose sensation. I've used mechanic's gloves, baseball batting gloves and the 'skydiving gloves' you can get at the gear store. Some folks put latex surgical gloves under those to keep the wind out. On the flip side, you are only in freefall for a minute. Then under canopy for a few minutes. Then back in the hangar, which is hopefully heated.

Well, your opinion was called 'bullshit' because it was based on ... Bullshit. You freely admit to believing the garbage that "Q" puts out. You post predictions that they made (predictions that NEVER came to pass), then deny that you posted them. One symptom of insanity is the inability to distinguish reality from fiction. And what do you do in response? Ignore the questions asked and make yet another prediction. What will happen next week? What are you basing this prediction on? Q? Biblical prophecies? Alignment of stars? And to repeat the question I asked before: Should Trump be immune from prosecution for any crimes he may (or may not) have committed? Would you have given the same answer if the question was about Obama?

YOU ARE NOT ALONE. You've taken a big step towards 'being an adult'. You are in an alien environment, one where you are a lot more on your own than you ever have been. Ever. You are being forced to make long term decisions with significant consequences, perhaps not understanding what your goals are. And I'm going to guess that it sure seems like everyone else around you has all their shit together (helpful hint: They don't). Toss in the fact that winter is almost here, the days are the shortest that the get (Seasonal Affective Disorder is very real) and add on the fact that you haven't jumped in a while and won't be able to for even longer, and depression (situational, not clinical) is a real possibility. Don't worry about that 'oblivion of mediocrity'. Even if you end up 'average', you'd still be better than half the people out there, right? Lots of people can find real joy in a humble life. Lots of things can make your family proud of you that don't involve 'commercial' success, big salaries, fancy houses & cars, ect. Find people you enjoy being with, things you enjoy doing, places you enjoy being. Try to avoid 'artificial joy', alcohol or drugs. They help for a bit, but not really. They are a poor substitute for real happiness. Not that you can't enjoy a beer or two under the right circumstances, but try not to use them to be happy by themselves. Maybe get some real help. I'd bet there's some sort of basic counselling available for students either free or cheap for a couple sessions. Don't be afraid or ashamed of asking for help (you did it here). Even the strongest of us need help from time to time.

Hi Jerry - I think you know that immigrants who come here have to learn about, and pass an exam on the Constitution (among other things). Those of us born here get a class in middle or high school called 'Civics' or 'Government'. Given the state of public education in many places, I wonder how much actual knowledge is passed along, let alone remembered years later.

KInda funny how you fail to mention 'communism', which has been something you have 'fought against' in the past. You ignore Trump's embracing Kim Jong Un and his communist dictatorship. You ignore Trump's support of Putin and the Russian Security Service's lies about Ukraine. You are aware that Putin was head of the KGB, right? And that the Russians haven't changed much since the 'fall of communism' in 89, right? You also pretend that it's just the "Liberal Democrats" who want to see Trump impeached. Helpful hint: It's not about reversing and election, it's about holding Trump accountable for his crimes. Or do you agree with Trump that the President (and his staff) should be immune from being held responsible for their actions? Would you have felt the same way about Obama?