wolfriverjoe

Your grasp of American History is a little off. The BoR was not an "afterthought." The whole Constitution was adopted "15 years after the new country was born." The BoR was part of it because the only way a strong central government was going to be approved was if there were guarantees for the rights of the citizens to be in place. And the situation in the link in the OP seems to indicate that the "need" for the 2nd is still very real. And you seem to be deliberately ignoring the basic fact that in the past 20 years there has been a huge increase in the number of guns in the hands of the American public, millions of carry permits issued, yet crime has gone down. So from a "per gun" perspective, rates of accidents and homicides have dropped pretty dramatically. "More guns, less crime" has been noted by the pro-gun folks, but pretty much ignored by those who oppose 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

I found this: http://thedailybanter.com/2014/03/the-christian-zealot-reaction-to-last-nights-cosmos-debut-is-about-what-youd-expect/ About what I expected. "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

That kind of jump is called a "Tandem." Most places offer that. There are places that offer only that. And "military related" training isn't necessarily any safer or less safe than civilian style. They just yell a lot more. "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, then check the laws for the state you plan on using it in. They vary somewhat from state to state. Wisconsin, for example, limits them to 30mph. Anything bigger will require a motorcycle endorsement on your license. I agree that a "real" motorcycle would be a better choice, the extra power and speed can be a safety advantage under certain circumstances. But getting the endorsement means either passing the test or taking a certified m/c class. If you're willing to do that, it will open up a lot more options, even bigger scooters. "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 had to look up the rules for New Jersey, they are slightly different than here in Wisconsin. For you, any "scooter" with an engine smaller than 50cc and limited to 35mph is considered a "Low Speed Motorcycle" (moped) and does not require a motorcycle endorsement on the drivers license. You can't drive them on the tollway, limited access (freeway) or any road posted over 35. These have become really popular in the last few years. A lot of them are cheap Chinese models. Not too reliable, or durable. The "big" motorcycle brands (Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki) offer much better models, but they will cost more. Like with so many other things, you get what you pay for. The plus side of the popularity is that a lot of people buy them, ride them for a season or two and then get tired of them. So finding a used one is pretty easy. Just make sure you get it checked over by a good mechanic before you buy it. They are fun on nice days. Just be really careful. Car drivers won't see you. And if you aren't used to being on two wheels (bike, scooter or motorcycle), you need to get used to being on the defensive all the time. New Jersey motorcycle rules: http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/Licenses/Motorcycle.htm "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

Chutingstar offers the escrow service for free. They have standard rates for the inspections. If you can't find it on their website, shoot Mike an e-mail. He's pretty quick to respond and will answer even the most obvious questions (I don't like to use the word "stupid"). Not all riggers are willing to offer escrow services. Most will perform the inspection. Fees will vary. Make sure you all 3 parties (buyer, seller and inspector/escrow) understand exactly what will happen, processes, costs and who will pay before you ship the stuff out. You can search the phrase "rigger as escrow" for more info on the process. It's pretty straightforward and pretty standard. Most people in the sport are honest, but the gear is worth enough money that there are some who will try to hose you. The honest ones usually understand you wanting to take reasonable precautions to protect yourself in the transaction. "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

Anything by the Village People would be fun. "It's Raining Men"? I don't know if there is a hell or not. But if there is, I think Fred is going to find out that the voice that he heard, telling him that "God Hates Fags" wasn't really the voice of God after all. Who's voice is it that's "sweet to hear" and tells us what we want to believe is true? Especially the hateful and hurtful lies? "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 they also tell you about when they achieved that goal, what they did next, and so on. It's totally a community 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

It's not that simple. The cops may not want to get involved in a "service provider/client" dispute. They certainly aren't going to go somewhere and take property without a lot more than a phone call. They are going to want documentation. Proof of ownership, proof of payment, and on and on. A theft compliant may need to be filed. And even then they may refuse to get involved. A friend had a elaborate stereo stolen from his car. He found out who took it, found the car it was in, had all the receipts to prove it was his. But the cops wouldn't do anything about it. I never heard the entire reasoning behind it, but my friend ended up stealing his stereo back. "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

What news on the Rialto? Mark I asked two carriers for quotes. Had to fill out questionnaires about the training from program for instructors, emergencies procedures in the event of an accident, etc etc. Submitted all the paperwork Thursday. Hope to hear something back next week. If you get coverage for liability on the actual skydiving operations you will be the first in the country that I know of to ever obtain it. Not even Lloyd's of London will provide it. If you do get it, be sure to be sitting down when you see the premium. Bingo. There's a huge difference between personal liability insurance for an individual instructor and overall liability for a DZ. When I got my rigger ticket in 09, I sat down with a copy of the waiver and my insurance agent (I was the rigger for a small club DZ). The agent basically said that my homeowners insurance would cover me if the DZ got sued and I was included. I could get an umbrella policy to add to the liability, but that would make my "pockets deeper" and possibly provide an incentive for someone to sue. Since I don't have much for assets, I decided to keep the coverage I had. So, there is personal liability coverage out there. But coverage for a DZ? No way, no how. "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 the design issue really isn't the problem. There are gun recalls when a design is found to be defective. They don't happen very often because a gun is a pretty simple machine to design. I'm not aware of any lawsuits against either car manufacturers or alcohol producers in a drink driving death. Yet there were a huge number of lawsuits against gun makers for the illegal use of a legally made product. And people who demonstrate they can't properly handle a gun usually get charged with a felony, which takes away their rights to own one. Lots of places have found that refusing to plea down a "felony gun charge" has resulted in less crime. Richmond VA is one place. Project Exile is one of a very few times where you will see the NRA and the Brady Campaign in agreement. The "Gun Lobby" has always been in favor of punishing those who commit crimes with guns. They were one of the early proponents of the "Three Strikes" laws. They turned out to cause more problems than they solved, but they were an attempt to reduce recidivism. Last year, when there was a big push to increase background checks, the NRA was at the table for some of the discussion. One question that was raised was why are there very few prosecutions for attempting to purchase firearms by those who are ineligible. In 2010, there were over 72 thousand background check denials. SIXTY TWO were referred for prosecution. 44 were actually prosecuted. http://freedomoutpost.com/2013/01/joe-biden-we-dont-have-time-to-prosecute-everybody-who-lies-on-background-checks/ We don't need more laws, we need to effectively enforce the ones that are already on the books. "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

Unfortunately, many who insist on the rules being followed (the "beerhounds") also don't understand the purpose behind them either. They just want to drink beer that someone else paid for. I don't drink, but I've bought my share of beer. And enjoyed the fruits of "paying my dues." Because those who I shared it with understood the real purpose of the "Beer Rules" too. "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 help has been offered but "It's too complicated." My suggestion: Send a text, an e-mail and leave a voice message that you are going to out him publicly if he doesn't respond. Then do it. If people are contacting "your DZ" (the one listed in your profile) then there are folks willing to help. It's your choice to accept that help or not. "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 how it is where you are, but there are several reservations around here (Oneida and Ojibwa). If you use the term "redskin" in the wrong place on the res, it can get ugly. How about the "Birmingham Spearchuckers", "Charleston Junglebunnies", "Miami Kikes" or "New York Wops"? "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

Say whaaat? There is NO duty to retreat INSIDE the home. Intruder INSIDE home does not sent merit a "freeze" command or a warning shot. Shoot on sight and without warning. Where's this "duty to retreat" crap coming from? It comes from the law. Different states have different rules. You need to be familiar with the rules for your state. "Shoot on sight" is a dangerous policy. You need to demonstrate "intent to harm" on the part of the intruder. Quick overview on different states and their laws: Wiki Clicky Your profile shows your location as Virginia. As far as I can find, there isn't an actual "Castle Doctrine" law on the books there. It's generally accepted, and present in case law, but isn't actually codified as a law. So any claim of it in court is not going to be certain. It will be up to the prosecutor, judge and jury. "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 are thousands if not millions of anecdotal stories that some people should not be behind the wheel of a car ever. There are also thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of anecdotal stories about people who were very fortunate to be in possession of a gun when they needed one. "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

Copied from FaceBook: Lawyers should never ask a Georgia grandma a question if they aren't prepared for the answer. In a trial, a Southern small-town prosecuting attorney called his first witness, a grandmotherly, elderly woman to the stand. He approached her and asked, 'Mrs. Jones, do you know me?' She responded, 'Why, yes, I do know you, Mr. Williams. I've known you since you were a boy, and frankly, you've been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, and you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you're a big shot when you haven't the brains to realize you'll never amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you.' The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, 'Mrs. Jones, do you know the defense attorney?' She again replied, 'Why yes, I do. I've known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. He's lazy, bigoted, and he has a drinking problem. He can't build a normal relationship with anyone, and his law practice is one of the worst in the entire state. Not to mention he cheated on his wife with three different women. One of them was your wife. Yes, I know him.' The defense attorney nearly died. The judge asked both counselors to approach the bench and, in a very quiet voice, said, 'If either of you idiots asks her if she knows me, I'll send you both to the electric chair. "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 old "Too Big Of A Dream" problem. You've always dreamed about it, but now that it has a real chance of coming true, you have doubts. The only way to find out is to do it. Would you rather try it and decide it's not for you? Or wonder for the rest of your life what it would have been like? If you are worried about the investment part of it, then take it slow. Do AFF. See how you feel. Get your license. See how you feel. If you feel positive about it, then get your own gear. Start looking earlier, sometimes it takes some time to find a good deal. Patience is often rewarded. Even if you just jump for a while and then quit, much of the gear can be sold to recover the cost (presuming you bought used gear at a reasonable price). If you are reasonably smart about it, you can get your A and all the gear for less than $10k. Even if you don't stick with it, you will always have the experience of it, and there are a lot of lessons in preparedness, decision making, risk analysis and more that can be applied to "real life." Follow JimmyT's advice about making sure the family is protected if the worst happens. There are a lot of jumpers who have families, and they are fine. But it is a possibility that should be addressed. "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. If they had shot it down and were trying to cover it up, then they would have concocted a story and stuck to it. They don't know what's going on. They are as confused as anyone. They aren't admitting it, they don't want to look like they don't know, but it sure looks to me like they are simply trying to figure out what happened. Just like the rest of us. Given what happened in 2001, any country could easily say "We tracked the plane heading toward (insert high profile target here). We attempted to make contact, but were unsuccessful. We attempted to force it to turn back with fighters, including firing shots across it's nose, but it continued. So we shot it down." There would be a bit of noise made, but no real repercussions. "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

What else? Instructor (AFF), you teach the new students. Instructor (Tandem) you take "students" up for their tandem. AKA "Meat Hauler." Rigger, you pack and maintain the gear. Camera Flyer, you take the video and stills of tandem students (becoming less common with the advances in hand-cams). Manifest, you work in the office. Pilot, you fly the plane (which requires a huge investment to get a commercial pilot licence). None of those jobs pay well (except maybe tandem instructor). All except for manifest require a serious investment in time and money to reach the point where you will be able to make any money. Here in the US, they aren't kidding about living in a tent and eating Ramen noodles. It becomes a "labor of love" where you work long hours for little pay, but get to "live the dream." There's no real job security, often no disability insurance (so if you get hurt you are screwed) It gets old. There are jobs with the manufacturers. Sales reps (needs a degree or experience in sales/marketing), designers (engineering), a few others. Don't be so quick to dismiss being a TI. It takes 500 jumps minimum, but offers the best opportunity to make money. At a busy DZ, some claim to be able to make $50k per year. I think that's a bit exaggerated, and also well above the average, but that's what I've heard. It can also be a lot of fun. You get to offer an experience like no other to someone. Some get bored with that and call it "Meat Hauling", others keep it focused on the student and feed off of their enthusiasm. I've met both types of TIs. Seriously, you will be far, far better off getting a good degree and a good job. Then you'll be able to afford to jump for the fun of it. I've met more than a few people who found that working their "dream job" every day turned what used to be fun into drudgery. You aren't the first one to come here and ask this. "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 you haven't figured it out already this sport unlike most in ALL about personal responsibility. There is no nanny in freefall. It's not a joke when we say "the only guarantee in skydiving is that you WILL land". Wake up to that or get out of my sport. So in your opinion a student should show up on day one knowing how to inspect a rig for damage and/or serviceability, or anything that happens is their fault? Somehow I dont think you really believe that. And if you do then I pray to God you dont own a DZ. Have you read the waiver that you signed? Really read 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

One key witness/informant admitted to falsely testifying at the trial. The perjury was committed because the "witness" got a break by giving the DA this guy. "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 wouldn't be some sort of publicity for the new TV show "Resurrection" would 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

It's a free country. Both T&G's and skydiving are VFR activities done in Class E & G airspace using see-and-avoid methods. Bingo. We scream and yell about airport access, yet the planes also have access rights. Unless the DZ owns the airport, the plane had every right in the world to be there. So did the jumper. The "2000' over the pattern" rule doesn't apply when the landing area is on the airport. My old DZ was on a small, grass runway airport. There were more than a couple "old guys" flying around, doing T&Gs, not talking on the radio. And our landing area was on the runway. We had lots of outs and alternates, we'd pay attention to what was going on when we were loading up, we taught them that "windblades out means we are jumping." Paying attention to what was going on and communicating with each other kept any conflicts small and uneventful. "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

That is an assumption not in evidence. People assume it crashed into the ocean. It could have just as easily crashed into jungle or into the side of a mountain or landed somewhere. At this point it's too early to tell. It's also a very big world and it's entirely possible the search team isn't looking in remotely the right spot. We see the same nonsense over and over again about these wild assumptions. I'm sure I could Google this question but I was wondering... what is the distance the emergency beacons can be detected? I think I read the length of time is approximately 30 days but I don't remember reading about a detection range. ELT signals are received by satellite. So the range is essentially unlimited. Wiki Clicky And it's a big ocean. They reportedly are searching in 2 separate areas, over a combined 37 thousand square miles. "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