wolfriverjoe

But it's not. Read this thread (I know you have). There's no commentary by those on the right about the violence by those on the right. Only the "hate-filled-liberals." There was a car attack in London. By a Welshman against a crowd outside a mosque. As an interesting side note, the crowd caught him, pulled him out of his van and attacked him. The iman from the mosque (among others) saved him from the crowd and held him for the police. Heard any of this from anyone on the right? Has Trump tweeted about it? I haven't heard anything. This whole thread is about the 'systematic dehumanizing' and demonizing of the left. And the exhortations about the 'coming civil war' is little more than a call to violence by the right against the left. "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

Fwiw I am sorry to hear that. Thank you, Stumpy. That is very kind of you. Actually, my health is good so far has I know. I just sort of feel like it is getting close to translation time. And one more time, you believe something because you want it to happen, not because there is any real evidence that it will happen. "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

Ted has since swore off all ugly hate speech espousing violence. Great. I hope he is sincere and actually follows through. That doesn't change what he did in the past, though. All the hateful, violent, racist garbage he put out. And it doesn't change how many folks cheered him on when he did 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

The question, and my response, only applied to the LoC "calibration" nonsense. And let's be perfectly clear here, it's complete and utter nonsense on the level of reading tea leaves, or bumps on the head, or palm reading. But he found it comforting. And educational. And it validated his beliefs. Therefore it must be true. "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, to be fully accurate, they accept those things that align with their beliefs, no matter how ridiculous, no matter how clearly and completely they have been shown to be 'quackery.' Anything that goes against those beliefs is dismissed completely (fake news if you will), regardless of the proof that is behind 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

I would think that calling a black man a "subhuman mongrel" is racist. I can't see it as anything else. Disagreeing with someone is one thing. Using blatant racial slurs when doing so is another. "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

Seriously? The violence and hatred is far more prevalent on the right than on the left. For every example you list, there are probably 10 or more incidents where right wing extremists attacked minorities. The murders in Portland are a pretty good example. While Snoop Dogg & Kathy Griffin have done some pretty ugly (and stupid) stuff, what about Ted Nugent? What about all the hate directed at Obama? Trump used the hatred directed at Obama very shrewdly, tapping into all the suppressed racism, bigotry and hatred and gathering the support of those types. Many on the right are called "Racist, sexist, homophobe, xenophobe Nazis" because that's what they are. Not all Trump supporters are Nazis, but most Nazis are Trump supporters. "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

This is kind of like how Trump voters are lumped together. All Trump voters voted for Trump. The demographics on them are rather clear cut. "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

Based on what? Are you aware of what information (or misinformation) he used to draw his conclusions? Or is it simply a case of "I agree with his conclusions, so he isn't a fool." I can disagree with someone's opinion without drawing the conclusion that they are a fool. I can agree with someone, yet see the lack of reasoning they use to reach those opinions and conclude they are a fool. But to reach the place where I call someone a fool (or "not a fool") without knowing how they formed their opinion is... Foolish. "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

Yours maybe. You believe what you want to be true. When objective facts are presented to you, you either ignore them or claim that they are "fake". Regardless of the proof presented. Some people are objective and open minded enough that they are willing to examine information that goes against their beliefs. Intelligent people understand the concept of 'critical thinking' and realize that not everything that is believed is true. Some of them will even alter their beliefs when the facts prove their beliefs to be false. However, there are those whose beliefs are so entrenched and so precious to them that altering them is pretty much impossible. Arguing and debating with those types is pretty much useless. I found that out again with a person the other day. He is convinced that HRC holds primary responsibility for the deaths at Benghazi. He is convinced that Trump is not a sexual predator (it was all false allegations and 'locker room talk') and is an excellent leader. I didn't realize how big of a fool he was. "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

The only caveat is that Twitter can also be used as a substitute for informal conversation - but it's pretty easy to distinguish the two. So when the Real Donald bitches about Arnie's ratings on The Apprentice that's not an official White House statement. When he says the ban really is a ban and they only called it something else to fool the courts, that is the official position of the Oval Office; anyone saying otherwise is lying to themselves and everyone else. The problem with that is that Trump is never "not President." He is never truly 'off duty'. Ever. So everything he says, either formally, informally, in person, through spokespeople, or on social media is an "Official Presidential Statement." Imagine the reaction that would have come from the right wing idiots if Obama had made off-the-cuff statements comparable to the shit Trump has put out. Edit to add: Interestingly enough, you seem to be right. By a slim majority, Veterans Favor Trump. Although, as noted in the story, veterans tend to be white (78%), male (92%) and older (49% over 65). All three of those demographics tend to favor Trump. "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

Seriously? The left are the "hateful" ones? Who has all the guns? Who talks about 'overthrowing the government'? Who has the hateful rhetoric towards gays, Muslims, women, ect? Who said "Knock the crap out of them. I'll pay for the lawyer"? All in all, this was one "whacko", who was pissed off enough at the Rs that he decided to try to take a bunch of them out. I won't go so far as to say they 'deserved' it, but it's not all that surprising that there are some people pissed off at the Rs enough that they do something this extreme. The extreme rhetoric and actions by Trump and his minions, the support of that by the entire R leadership, the ridiculous garbage coming out of Washington, all that has consequences. To act surprised and outraged that this happened is pretty naive. Sort of along the same lines as the "pretend outrage and surprise" about the bigots and xenophobes who are now coming out from under their rocks and attacking Muslims. Trump and his ilk fed that outrage and it's consequences have become apparent. Backlash against it isn't all that surprising. The only thing I'm surprised at is that it's taken this long before it happened. "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, first off, you are the only one who can answer that question. To answer that question, you need to ask yourself a few other questions. How much jumping do you plan on doing in the next year? What types of jumps? Where do you see your skills in the next year? Do you plan on taking any courses? (canopy or other) Do you plan on devoting serious time and jumps to canopy flight? The big argument for used gear is the cost. The big depreciation hit has already happened, so the difference between purchase price and sale price (if you decide to sell it in the future) won't be huge. The big argument for new is that the harness will fit you very well and you can get all the bells & whistles that you want, and none that you don't. Personally, I got a brand new Infinity in 2011. Fit to me, sized to a 170. Realistically, I won't be downsizing. I'm getting old and I really don't jump enough for a 150 to be sensible for me. I'm 150 or so out of the shower, maybe 175-185 exit weight. So I plan on keeping this rig basically forever. I may not get the best penetration into the wind, but I can spot, so getting back isn't an issue. If the winds are strong enough on the ground that penetration for landing is an issue, then my butt is sitting down. I've had a few "bad experiences" in wind that I shouldn't have been jumping in. I have learned my lesson. Different people have different skill/experience/risk tolerance levels, so their choices are different from mine. That's fine. I'm not doing this to impress other people. I do it for me. You have to decide what's best for you. But it's best to make an informed decision. Which is probably what you came on here to try and do. "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 "voter fraud" (that really doesn't exist) gives them an excuse to disenfranchise minorities, the poor and the elderly. It's been pretty clearly shown that they do this to reduce the votes for the other side. OTOH, the "Russian Involvement" gave them votes. It helped them win. They seem to be in favor of anything that helps them win. Billvon's post in a different thread summed it up fairly well. "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 used to be 16 for the USPA. Then the manufacturers got tired of being sued when a minor got hurt and made USPA raise the age to 18. It can be waived. There is a 16 year old who got his A last year. DZO's kid. Both parents on board with it. Dad is DZO, he & mom aren't together anymore but mom is fine with it, proud as hell actually. She "likes & shares" a lot of the jump pics. "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 do realize that the books originally came out in 1989, right? The scripts for the TV show are new, as are the later books, but the overall setup was done several years before Clinton came to national prominence. Of course, you never miss a chance to take a shot at the "liberals". "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

Hmmmm....Have you ever read anything about Russian history? Overall they are doing quite well at the moment compared to most of the time. It's their modus operandi. Eliminate, jail or banish political adversaries. Have been doing it for decades. At least all the way back to Leon Trotsky. You left out "Kill". Look at what happened to Trotsky. And it goes back a lot further than the Soviet revolution. The Tsars (Czars) did the same thing. "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 know. I would think that direct and blatant violation of a pretty clearly written part of the Constitution would be adequate grounds. He has made pretty much zero effort at separating himself from his business interests. First he seemed to think that giving control to his kids was the same as a blind trust. Then he made it clear that the "giving it to his kids" was simply for show and that he would retain control. Then the kids all got jobs in the administration. So much for 'separation.' "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

Alright, THIS is funny. A 'certain country' has criticized Trump for pulling out of the Paris Agreement. Calling it: When the 'moral high ground' is legitimately claimed over the US, I sometimes cringe. But by North Korea? Really? Trump has taken us to the point that the DPRK can legitimately claim that they are better than the US? "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

There is no way to know that. There is no way to know that their meddling during the campaign did not have an influence on the outcome of the election. ***To be honest, given all the crap that the US has done over the years to "alter the outcome" of various elections, both before and after (Iran? Chile?), our complaints about Russian interference are pretty hypocritical. What an insane argument. 1. Trying to ensure your own elections are fair and free of interference is rather important. Even if you have a habit of trying to alter the outcome of elections in other countries. 2. There are many things the US has done, but strongly objects to other countries doing. I am sure many of those you agree with. One more time. Their propaganda push likely had an effect. Trump's victory was something of a "perfect storm". I don't doubt that there were a number of votes that were swayed by the Russian info dumps, either the ones via Wikileaks, or the "Agit-prop" type of stuff (hey - where's Roy these days?) Russia has been doing that sort of thing for decades. They've just gotten more sophisticated lately. But I was splitting hairs somewhat. They Russians tried to hack the election itself. Into the voting machines (the release of that info is what the contractor was recently arrested for). They were not successful in that effort. That is what they "had no effect on", the integrity of the vote itself. And, no. I don't agree with a lot of what the US has done. Prop up brutal dictators for military bases (Phillipines & Cuba)? Prop up brutal dictators to ensure US business can have access (Central America and the Middle East)? No. Interfere with free and fair elections (All over the fucking world)? No. There's very little that can be done or is done that I would not want done to us that I find acceptable. I don't like what Russia did. But I'm not surprised by it, nor terribly offended by it. It's what they do. I wonder if their goal was to stop HRC from gaining the presidency, because she would likely have called them out on their misbehavior. Or was it to get someone who is a complete idiot, buffoon, and completely clueless on foreign policy (not anyone in particular)? Or was it to get Trump in particular in, because he's not Clinton, the idiotic buffoon with no FP skills, and because they have leverage over him? Interesting question. However, the idea that the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to win the election is a problem. There are laws against that sort of thing. If it can be proven (still a question), then some people (Flynn, Kushner, Sessions for a start) should go to prison. I seem to recall that we electrocuted people for conspiring with the Russians some time ago. I'm not advocating that, but it's something to remember. "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

Uhm, no. Multiple reports say it is unknown if they had an effect on the election outcome. Considering that the full scope of the meddling hasn't been established, at least publicly. It is impossible to say if there was any influence on the election outcome. Well, to be a bit pedantic, the Russian hacking had no effect on the election. That is, despite apparent efforts to do so, they were unable to get into the actual voting machines and alter the outcome of the election. Or throw it's legitimacy into doubt. There's some question about what they were actually trying to accomplish. Their influence on the campaign, however is pretty clear. They did everything they could to discredit HRC and promote DJT. They did a pretty good job of it too. To be honest, given all the crap that the US has done over the years to "alter the outcome" of various elections, both before and after (Iran? Chile?), our complaints about Russian interference are pretty hypocritical. "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's allowed if you use proper punctuation. As in 'chute. And you of all people have no business correcting anyone's English! He can correct their terminology. Like "canopy", or "rig" or that sort of thing. If he starts trying to correct their spelling, I'm outa here. :p "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

Have you seen how they get packed yet? You will learn this when you take the class. Short version: You pack it so that it comes out smoothly and straight. If it goes in right, it will come out just fine. There are a few things that are important (slider up against the stops, lines straight and to the inside/fabric to the outside, lines neat and straight, even and proper length bights, proper tension on the bights with the rubber bands, bridle routing, PC stowage) But those are reasonably easy to learn and get right. What people struggle the most with is getting the canopy into the D-bag. That has little to do with whether or not it opens. Once you learn how to pack, you will understand how it opens. This knowledge should reduce your anxiety. The first jump on your own packjob will still be "interesting". Keep in mind that malfunctions are pretty rare. I've often heard (and said) "It's a modern ram-air canopy. It wants to open and fly. "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

No it isn't. Amazes me how many people have a warped understanding of freedom of speech. Meh. People are idiots. Also rather disturbing that there are a bunch of idiots calling for her to be arrested (that is how "FOS" works). "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

Seen on FB: Maybe if we called it "unborn baby earth" instead of "Mother earth" the republicans would give a shit. "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