wolfriverjoe

It also serves those who have an inability to accept that death is the end. They need that hope of an afterlife. And for Ron's question about morality being driven by the fear of being caught: For some people, yes. Absolutely. Psychopaths & Sociopaths have little or no empathy and are willing to hurt and kill others with no remorse. And while 'full blown' psychos & socios are actually pretty rare, there are varying levels (called "AntiSocial Personality Disorder) and it turns out that low or moderate level psychos are pretty common among repeat offenders in the criminal justice system. And there are some non-psychos out there who are just selfish. Self centered. While they may feel empathy towards those they hurt, they can justify it by rationalizing that their needs are more important. For both those groups, fear of being caught is important to keep them in check. Fear of human authority (cops & courts) is one thing, but fear of God is more effective. Throughout history, societies have used that authoritative "God" to keep individual selfishness in check for the greater needs of the gourp. That invisible, omniscient, omnipresent authority figure is both effective and immune to danger. A cop (or other human authority figure) is vulnerable. Piss off enough of society, and society will push back. Or extreme elements of it (like we are seeing now). But how can you fight against God? And how can you resist penalties that are imposed after death (or argue that they don't happen?) That's one of the reasons that so many people believe in God. It's part of our evolution. However, altruism is also part of our makeup. Again, probably due to evolution. And it shows up in other animal societies too. Some people do the right thing because they want to. Because they feel better when they do it. And they feel remorseful and regretful and "bad" when they do "bad" things. I don't know if that's "Nature" or "Nurture," if it's built into their psyche or learned behavior. But those people don't need the fear of punishment to do the right thing and not do the wrong 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

How many cops have been killed this year by people WITHOUT guns? I don't know about this particular year, but about 10% are killed by their own gun (criminal disarms cop and shoots cop with cop's gun). Those people didn't have a gun to start with. I couldn't find much for cops being killed without being shot (or in a car crash). One in El Paso TX a couple years ago was beaten and later died. Searching "police killed by unarmed" or "beaten to death" keeps coming up with cops killing unarmed people or cops being the ones doing the beating. "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

Hi Jerry, I think that it's pretty easy to see that if a lot of other people have launched off the ramp without injury (probably including the plaintiff), then the jump isn't inherently dangerous - at least not "badly constructed" dangerous. Not that jumping off these kinds of ramps is exactly "safe." IMHO, this sucks. HE chose to go down the hill. HE chose to go off the ramp. I'm not a big fan of "waivering" negligence, even in skydiving. If someone (business owner) does something clearly wrong, then there should be some responsibility. But this isn't that. If this goes through, I think the main result will be the end of jumps and terrain parks. "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

Sort of a tangent, but I wonder how many of those theaters are "Posted Prohibited" for concealed carry of firearms? Capitulating to threats, submitting to bullies, allowing this sort of intimidation is a mistake. Ask Chamberlain about that one. They threatened "9/11 style" attacks on the theaters. What? They are going to crash planes into the building? I kinda doubt that would happen. Suicide attacks by DPRK agents? Maybe. One or two would be all it would take. But two or three uniformed cops and two or three more in plain clothes in the audience (think "Air Marshall style) would be enough to deter those. Publicize that those "armed guards" are there. Stand up to them. I had zero plans to go see this movie. Quade is right, it's a "stoner comedy." But if it shows up in the near future, I'll be certain to go see 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

You know that's an 'urban myth', right? Not true, according to Snopes And the Discovery show, "Mythbusters" demonstrated that the heavier bullet won't go much of anywhere, while the lighter brass case will often fly a fair distance, if ammunition is put in a fire. Neither has enough velocity or energy to do much damage. The burning of the gunpowder has to be contained and directed to produce any real 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

Interesting. Given the things that the DPRK has pulled in the past, I have to wonder what kind of response this will generate. They sank a ROK naval ship, they cross the DMZ on a fairly regular basis, they pull a lot of shit with pretty much zero consequences. From a strictly "vengeful and angry" point of view, it'd be nice to see a drone strike on something important, say a naval base. I don't really think that would be a good idea, and I highly doubt that anything that drastic 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

I don't know. I don't think I'm having a hard time understanding what Catfish is trying to say. Unless I'm missing something, he's willing to use torture on people who we think are our enemies (remember that we tortured a couple of guys who were working for us), he's willing to turn Afghanistan into a "glass parking lot" for what they did to us, nevermind that the ones who did it are a very small fraction of the population. He thinks that victors in war should destroy and take over the losers. Maybe make the population of the losing countries our slaves (he didn't say exactly that, but it's an easy step from what he did say). He seems very angry. Am I missing something? This sort of vengeful behavior isn't unusual. It's pretty typical. It used to be normal. I'd like to think that we, as Americans, are better than that. I know we aren't, not really. Look at our history, our treatment of the indians (feather, not dot), the Japanese during WW2 and so on. But if we fight evil with more evil (like torture), then we lose. We become what we are fighting against. And I'm not ok with that. "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. The ones that are would be willing to admit it and accept it. Fortunately most jumpers I know are very accepting of different people and different lifestyles. For the most part, if you have what it takes to gear up and go out the door, you are welcome on the DZ. However, someone who shows up and accuses everyone on the DZ of being a liberal, homosexual or metrosexual (do you really know what that word means?) wouldn't be welcomed. Judgemental types generally aren't welcomed much of anywhere outside their own tribe. "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

Option "A" is pretty easy to sort out the problems. There are a few places that offer inspection and escrow services. Chutingstar is one. They will receive the rig, inspect it (for a fee), and hold it until the seller says money has arrived. Then they ship it to you. Work out before any actual shipments things like: Who pays for inspection (usually buyer), who pays for shipping if inspection reveals flaws that cancel sale (sometimes all on seller, sometimes split), and any other areas that could become an issue. Look on their site for details. Sizing is also pretty easy: Go to the manufacturer's site. Find the "Measure for a custom rig" page. Have your measurements taken. DO NOT try to do it yourself. You can't. A rigger is a good choice, a good tailor is another. But, to be honest, anyone who can read a tape measure and follow directions can do it. Take them twice to be sure. Send the measurements and the serial number from the rig to the manufacturer (get S/N from seller). They will tell you if/how well it will fit, if a resize is needed (or even an option) and how much it will cost. It may be to your benefit to have the escrow agent ship it directly to the manufacturer for a resize (if you go that route), and then it goes to you. Saves shipping it across the pond a couple times. "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

Because the government (as a whole) doesn't like to give people their rights back. It just likes to take them away. The founding fathers understood that. That's why they gave us the BOR. "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 should Exxon/Mobil be banned from any fracking operations? Or purchasing/using any oil or gas produced by fracking? After all, their president joined a lawsuit to ban it near his home. "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

Which one is the "Aqua Bouy"? Is that the "beach ball" one that used to be on student gear? If so, I might have several. "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's actually a fair amount of good info here. Which is a bit surprising, but pleasantly so. If you go to one of the big "Sporting Goods" stores that sells safes too (Scheels, Gander Mountain, Cablea's, Bass Pro, Dick's) you can 'compare & contrast.' Safes are one area where you definitely "get what you pay for." From the low end "tin box" all the way up to serious burglar and fire resistant. With a wide range in the middle. I had a 'tin box' Homak for a while (very similar to the Stack On). Bolted down, it would have foiled a "snatch & grab" burglar, but anyone willing to put a good 15-20 minutes to it with a hammer & chisel would have gotten in. Definitely "Kid Proof" as long as they don't know where the key is. Better options are available, for more cost. I would tend to stay with known brands, as sold by reliable dealers. Places like Harbor Freight or Menards offer safes, but I don't have a whole lot of faith in the quality of those. There's actually only 3 or 4 real "safe makers." They put a wide variety of different names on the boxes they sell. Most certainly ask him what he wants and needs. If he wants more than a Stack On, which is a very reasonable position, then maybe you pay for part of a better safe (gift card to the store). "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

Oh my!!! Those are very attractive. The heart necklace is pretty distinctive, and I'd remember if I'd ever seen it in person. No clue who, but thank you for posting it. And thank you to the subject for submitting 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

And nobody else in your life understands just how important and exciting this is, right? That's ok, we get it. Way cool! A custom fit harness is one of the best Christmas presents you could give your self. "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

OPEC doesn't care about those countries hurting. OPEC is those countries. Some of them, anyway. Not Russia, but to ignore Russia is dangerous. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OPEC#Current_members "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

Congratulations. You just let the terrorists win. "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

Cheap oil reduces the demand for gas. Not really. I can't think of too many places that have a choice which to use. House furnaces are a good example. You have one or the other. I can't convert my oil burner to gas (I'd have to replace it), and I don't know of any gas furnaces that can use oil as a substitute. And right now, due to the fracking that's gone on in the western Appalachians (Ohio & Pennsylvania), gas is at record low prices. They are still fracking away because for Natural Gas, it can be extracted very very cheaply by fracking. Oil, not so much. And while Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and a couple others can survive low market prices for crude for a while; Iran, Venezuela, Russia, Nigeria and a whole lot more can't. Russia is already hurting. Venezuela has been hurting for a while. This will just make that worse. I don't know what is going to happen, but OPEC is going to go through some tough times. "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

really interesting you are just ready to just blithely disregard the opinions of these people I'm not invested one way or the other here, all I know was it was a bit off putting to see how 'giddy' the national news anchors were about it this morning. I'd really would have absorbed it a bit better if the delivery and attitudes were professional and objective. Gen Powell made some good statements in an interview about it though. He thought it was ok, but we need to be very watchful and that it doesn't excuse the treatment of the people or the bad policies of the Cuba gov in any way. that seems reasonable You guys gladly do business with Saudi Arabia, spare me the hypocrisy on Cuba. And China. Just about every consumer product sold in the US is "Made In China." I don't hear too many people bitching about their governmental policies. Search "Human Rights Abuses China" for about a bazillion hits. "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'd love the Mackinac Bridge (connects lower & upper Michigan). The inner lanes are metal grate. Over 1 1/2 miles of actual bridge. 5 miles from shore to shore (the "causeway" parts on either end are fully paved. And the highest part is about 200 ft above the water. I've been over it a bunch of times. It's pretty scary. The side rails aren't very 'confidence inspiring.' I've seen stronger looking handrails on industrial machinery. http://www.mackinacbridge.org/about-the-bridge-8/ "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

DOM on all three? Which Vector? (DOM will give a good idea of that) How many packs on the reserve? "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

Ummm.... I too (and probably a LOT of others) have difficulty sharing your version of love if it means submitting and bowing to my husband. Pfft. Didn't you read the title? "For MEN only." You wimmen aren't capable of reading and understanding this kind of stuff. It's a man thing. Now go get me a sammich and a beer. And take off your shoes. It's winter time. We really need a sarcasm font. Note: I'm kidding. Unfortunately, others actually do hold this point of view. "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 possible (speculation on my part) that he has a "SOS" reserve. Some student gear still has that. Only one handle to both cut away and deploy the reserve. In that case, the only way to deploy the reserve without chopping is to unhook the RSL shackle and use the RSL to pull the reserve (bad) or to get hold of the reserve cable (either above or below the handle) and use that bare cable to pull the reserve (also bad). "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

Full auto rifles are used by some departments (primarily the Tactical teams). Around me, some use semi AR-15s, but one uses select fire H&K G36s. Another uses both semi ARs & select fire MP5s. Again, tactical teams, not just patrol car rifles. AFAIK, these were all departmental purchases, not 1033 acquisitions. "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

Do you know anything about what training and experience I have? "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