wolfriverjoe

That's why I try to honour most faith traditions. Even newer far out ones. At the end they are all obviously made up by people. All the gods of all the times. Societies have been built around them. The most successful ones are highly patriarchal. Because keeping the females of the tribe under control, and breeding makes them grow. Do we need religion? Maybe we do. But we also need to keep our religions under control. The best way to do that is to not let any one religion dominate. The best thing about Christianity is it's lack of unity. Muslims may be divided into a couple major groups who kill each other. But Christians have the most variety of beliefs and the biggest number of fights over them. Long live schisms. Well, I would think that the evolutionary benefits have pretty much passed. For example, look at Jewish and Islamic dietary laws. One of the biggies is "no pork." As Vince & Jules discussed in the coffee shop, bacon tastes good, pork chops taste good, and he was right. But Jules was also right in that they are filthy animals. There are pathogens and parasites in pork that can be very dangerous. Before that sort of thing was understood, they had to find a way to keep people from eating it and dying. So it was 'decreed' that "God doesn't want you to eat this!!!" And while not everyone who ignored "God" on this died, many did. Which both reinforced the idea that doing what 'God' said was a good idea, and removed from the population many folks who were inclined to disobey. Today, we know the reality of the dangers of pork. Proper care & feeding while the pigs are alive, proper care and storage of the meat, proper cooking techniques all mean it's safe to eat. Yet the religious dietary laws live on. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Trump claims that any new story that is critical of him is fake. The idiots that support him blindly repeat that. They actually believe it. Absolutely hilarious that nobody noticed any 'fake news' on a widespread basis until Trump ran for president. And please expand on the "if you or I did that, we could be legally obligated." Free speech doesn't apply to just the press. And libel/slander laws don't apply to just the public. For example, Trump has repeatedly threatened libel suits against the press. None have gone anywhere, but that's because truth is a defense against libel (you can say mean stuff, as long as it's true). As an example from the other side; how many people claim HRC has committed felony crimes? Or that Obama wasn't a US citizen? Those are pretty clearly libelous. Or look at the political ads airing these days. I've stopped watching the local evening news because all of the commercials are election related. Many of those ads make claims that are lies. And some pretty nasty ones at that. I don't know how it is elsewhere, but around here the lies have been done more often by the Republicans (or the 'dark money' activist groups supporting them). "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Off topic now, because we've beaten all the corners off of it so that it is round and just going in circles. The ultimate proof of the falsehood of the Bible? The belief that God created man in his own image. How much conceit can be contained in one belief? Well, after God created man in his own image, man turned around and returned the favor. It's rather interesting and very telling that the "God" of any society reflects the morals & values of that society. And the 'Gods' that have been around a while have undergone numerous changes through time. Or as the various sects diverge and evolve. Look at the Bible. God went from punishing and vengeful to loving and caring. Are there any? (honest question) As far as I ever knew, every society has had a "God" of some sort. Some sort of supernatural being that protects, punishes or teaches (through prophets). There's some pretty interesting arguments that religion and gods have evolutionary benefits, both for individuals and for societies. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

It is because we are imperfect that we have been condemned; the meanings are one and the same. And yes, I have been forgiven, but I would never look down on you in a condescending way as if to say "I'm saved, sucks to be you, rot in hell". I regret that others apparently have done so to you, as that is most un-Christlike. I look on you with love not hate, pleading with you to accept the free gift being offered to you because I wish that every one would be saved, as is the will of god. From my perspective, you are falling through the sky without a rig on and I'm trying to grab you to save your life. If you don't believe me and turn me away, I mourn your choice. But why take offense if you don't believe you are in danger? Even when I was an atheist I never took offense at Christians trying to persuade me. I recognized that they did so out of a genuine concern for my well-being, even if I thought at the time they were misguided. I will respect your choice if you think the bible is all hogwash, but I don't understand taking offense at someone sincerely trying to save your life. Maybe I'm just being obtuse; I already said I'm not perfect. You aren't trying to 'save my life', you're trying to convert me to your beliefs. How would you feel if I told you that I don't look on you with hatred, but pity? Pity that you have fallen victim to the biggest con in the history of man? That your faith is nothing more than lies? From my perspective, you have completely lost all rational thought in favor of fables, legends and folk tales from the Bronze Age. And the idea that for all of us to be 'saved' is the "Will of God" is particularly laughable. Who are we being saved from? The same entity that 'created' us in the first place? This is one of the silliest arguments made. If God created a perfect world, why did he not create perfect humans? And if he created imperfect humans, he did not create a perfect world. Condemning us for being imperfect when He himself created us that way is the biggest 'gotcha' ever. The claim that we humans chose death when we were told not to eat the fruit of that tree is hilarious. As was noted, there's no way to get away from that. God would have offered temptation after temptation until someone took it. It's the sort of mentality that puts hats on the pavement with bricks under them. One of the biggest fallacies of religion is the idea of life after death. Of an 'eternal soul' that continues after we die. Death is probably the greatest fear of just about everyone. The idea that we don't have to die is the comfort that religion offers. But, of course, there's a choice. We can do what we are told, so that we can go to "Paradise". Or we can do what those in power tell us not to do, in which case, we 'suffer eternal torture' in the 'depths of hell'. The lengths people will go to to 'be sure' that they won't die or will live on after their death in the 'right' place is amazing. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

I don't doubt that those are the laws in Honduras, and that those in power can take the guns away from those they don't like. But Ortega isn't 'those in power'. Not in Honduras. He's in Nicaragua, along with the rest of the Sandinistas. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

I wondered about that; something to do with decompression? I can't imagine I would ever be doing both on the same day, plus doing SCUBA with my kid we would be limited to a depth of 60ft so I'm not going super deep. I do have a long term goal of doing some HALO jumps though so I'll be sure not to combine them on the same trip. Pretty much. You will learn about decompression sickness (the bends) and what you have to do to prevent it in class. Pressure as you go down increases by 'one atmosphere' approx every 33 ft. So down to 60 ft is approx '2 atmospheres'. Going up to 14k takes you to approx 6/10ths of an atmosphere. As Ryoder noted, if you go down and dissolve nitrogen into your blood, you may be able to come up to the surface without problems (or with standard decompression stops). But going up to 14k too soon may cause issues. There are a few DZs close to good diving water. There's also the Belize boogie, where scuba diving is one of the options for 'non jumping' activities. Puerto Rico boogie is also right on the water. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

On a more serious note, it you are going to do them in close succession, go up then down, not down then up. Sky then sea. Not the other way around. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Well, welcome. Sounds like you are as screwed as the rest of us. It sounds like you are overthinking it. I know that's what I did. I had to reach the point where it became more 'natural' and where I didn't have to think about exactly what I was doing at each point. It will come. Exits can be tough. You don't have as much control until you reach terminal, so 'finding the groove' can be a challenge. Unfortunately, the tunnel doesn't do a very good job with that. However, one thing you can work on is recovering stability. It sounds like you have an issue that once it 'goes south', getting back to stable, belly to earth is not easy for you. Discuss this with the coach you will be working with. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Gunslinger? Hardly. Care to share that video? A quick search found This. So-called "Christian" Pat Roberston telling lies and spreading fear. Common sense psychology is that it's easy to tap into fear and hatred. Bigotry and xenophobia are easy to feed and grow. And yeah, the phrase about the 'defecation hitting the rotary oscillator' is not new. Nor is your using it. You claim that it's 'about to happen.' Or it 'will start soon.' And have been making these claims for years. Yet is hasn't appeared yet. Nor do I think it will in any real sense. Ever hear of the story of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"? Or the man who cried SHTF? There's a lot of outrage and unsettledness in current society. It can easily be explained by the moron in the White House and his idiot supporters. You see it as a "Biblical Prophecy", I see it as a wannabe despot, tapping into the fear and hatred of a fairly large minority. Backlash from the bigots and misogynists who saw a black man in the White House and a woman poised to be there and went absolutely bonkers. You want SHTF, chaos, anarchy, mass death and deprivation. I just want to see justice served and the Mango Mussolini in prison for his numerous crimes (both before and since taking residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave). "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Radical Right terrorism is a significantly larger threat that Islamic terrorism. But get the idiots to believe that. Anti-Defamation League article. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Well, the rig has to come off. The question is whether straps need to be cut in order for that to happen. The simplest thing is to unthread the legstraps from the friction adapters (this can be done before EMTs arrive on scene). That leaves the MLW over the shoulders. With the three ring release housings, no hook knife is going to cut through those easily, so either the rig is lifted off the victim or the backboard is slid between the victim and the rig and then the victim is lifted out of it. This isn't speculation, it happened to a friend of mine. Swoop gone bad. The legstraps were undone before EMTs arrived. The rig was carefully and gently lifted off him by the EMTs. He was tangled in the canopy lines from tumbling after impact. Three lines had to be cut. That was it for damage. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

People have been saying that sine the beginning of time. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Jesus never encouraged, directed or commanded anyone to break the law. Right now GA is embroiled in a very close race for governor. The racist, socialist, anti-gun, pro-abortion feminist candidate has stated that she will make GA a sanctuary state, take away our guns and make abortion on demand. I do not want anyone in that caravan to cross the border illegally. SHTF is getting very close to the surface where I live. Right now the Rs in GA are engaged in a very deliberate attempt to deny the vote to thousands of people. Mostly minorities. Go figure. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

At that point you move to Canada, or France, or the UK, or anywhere that doesn't have such a god-awful healthcare system. Well, the US has the best health care in the world. Some of the worst pricing systems and insurance, but look at how many (wealthy) people from around the world come to the US for treatment. And as far as this sort of treatment (immunotherapy) goes, it actually looks to be cheaper in the long run. My understanding (and I certainly could be wrong on it) is that the patient's immune system is 'boosted', either by removing, altering and reinstalling cells from the patient's own immune system or by adding synthetic immune system cells. Once this is done, the patient's own body does the rest. No need for multiple chemo treatments, or radiation treatments or surgeries. The basic idea isn't new, but some of the recent advances hold a lot of promise. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

It is not illegal to present yourself at the US border and ask for asylum.[/quote They have brown skin. So many of the 'Conservative Christian' type want to see them shot if they try to come across the border. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Yeah, don' t hold your breath. I haven't seen a Republican show any real amount of backbone in the past 6 or 8 years. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Can you point to any issues with Tandem reserve reliability? Can you show any incidents where a tandem reserve didn't open properly (when the TI executed EPs correctly)? "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

So if and when it is found that the people who sent the bombs are far right wing Trump supporters, you will admit that Trump is evil? "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

He made the offer without specifying who was to do the test. After Warren had the test done, he reneged. As usual. I would guess that the test was done at a place that would meet the 'independent' qualification. For Trump to admit wrongdoing and pay out to 'save credibility'... NOT gonna happen. He'd never do it. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Fark: "Was it over when the Germans bombed the Ventura Freeway?" Well... Yeah. For the Germans. Or at least that particular plane anyway. Except it wasn't really a German plane. Just a Navy version of the T-6 painted in Luftwaffe colors. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

If I remember correctly, this is what Tim McVey thought would happen after the OK City bombing. There are some very dangerous people in this country with very twisted minds. Jerry Baumchen I think you remember correctly. And you are quite right. To go back even further, Charles Manson believed the same thing. The Tate/LaBianca murders were supposed to ignite a race war. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

As I have been saying for over two years now, it is very reminiscent of the early days of the Third Reich. One only has to read The Rise & Fall of the Third Reich to see the commonality. Kristallnacht anyone? Jerry Baumchen I think that the Charlottesville KKK march was supposed to turn into something like Kristallnacht. I got the impression that the Nazis & KKK expected the 'silent majority' to rise up and join them. Fortunately, the majority opposed them, not supported. Or I could be wrong about the whole thing. Wouldn't be the first time. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Well, lets apply some logic. Which side has the most people with guns? The reports I'm hearing are blackpowder pipe bombs. Which side has the most angry rhetoric? Which side has already killed someone? (with a car in Charlottesville) But, of course, logic and reason don't seem to be to be a strong character trait among the Trumpettes. There were some letters sent to the Pentagon with elements of castor beans. That is the source of the poison Ricin. They aren't saying how toxic they were. A Navy veteran was arrested in that case. No word on motive. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

You seem to have set specific goals, and are focusing on reaching them. Good for you. However, this is a worldwide forum. Unless you want an 'online' mentor who is perhaps on the other side of the world, this probably isn't the best place. Does your DZ have an "experienced jumpers" FB page or something like that? Or hit up the S&T A, lead instructor or DZO. I'm not familiar with Mile Hi, but my DZ is always looking for "up and comers" who they can teach their way. Not that they turn away people taught at other places, but they prefer it if they can 'teach you to be a teacher' themselves, the way they want you to teach. They also make sure that there's a coach, TI & AFF-I course at least once a year (each). "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Good to know. But emmm... seems you didn't follow this common thing yourself? http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4899262 Nope. I'm kinda old. And "old school." I find it keeps the discussion clearer if I reply to the actual post I'm replying to. You didn't answer my question: What'd ya get? "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo