wolfriverjoe

I've only been around since the early "00s", so I don't pretend to know about the "old days" other than what I've heard. But skysurfing died because it was a dead end. The learning process was interesting. Learning how to get on top and stay there and make it go where and how you wanted was a challenge. But once you got that down, there really wasn't much to do. The only real moves were spins (upright and inverted) and zooming past the camera flyer. So people got bored with it and moved on to bigger and better things. Freeflying and wingsuits both have a lot more potential for growth, innovation and development. So they became popular and boards went away. It looked a lot cooler than it really was. As usual, the resident "Expert In Everything" has no clue. "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 diocese said that they don't have enough money to run the school, so it closed. Then the diocese spends a huge amount of money on a house. Regardless of who it's for, they certainly seem to have enough money for that. I guess I find it a bit odd that they are building a huge mansion for someone who "took a vow of poverty," and at the same time don't have the money to run a school that actually served the poor. Or maybe it's not all that odd. More like business as usual for the church. Edit to add: And it's not even a primary residence. It's a vacation home. For the weekends. "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

Lots of skydivers are afraid of heights. I hate being on a ladder or roof. My friends always find it amusing. "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

Pretty much. Unless there's something especially noteworthy about the victim or the circumstances, they might get a couple of seconds on the local news or an inch or two in the local paper. That's usually about 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

No pic, it was a while back. Going forward, around a cloverleaf ramp in a snow storm. Dude had gotten stuck on the ramp and a plow had gone past and around him. He was plowed in. I knew if I stopped that I would be stuck (on ramp going uphill). I thought I would have enough room to get around him. I was wrong. Trailer tandems were further in than I thought they would be. I was, however, right that I would get stuck if I stopped. After everything got sorted out, it took a tow truck to get me moving again. "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 BOUGHT A COUPLE SMALL THINGS FROM THEM, AND A FRIEND BOUGHT A USED CANOPY FROM THEM. NO PROBLEMS. THEY ALSO HAVE A DECENT REPUTATION, FROM WHAT I HAVE HEARD. Why are we shouting? "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

& Dale "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 realize that, after how this winter has been, most of us around here aren't expecting the "weather to break" until... July. If we're lucky. Congrats on the job. Sounds like it will be interesting. "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's one possibility. But another possibility is that some jurors were dead-set on 1st degree murder, while other jurors were dead-set that while Dunn was culpable of 2nd degree murder and/or manslaughter, it was not 1st-degree murder, and the two camps could not be reconciled. Thus: impasse = deadlocked jury on that charge. since it was deadlocked can't they re-try him again? Yes. They can and are going to. It's actually mentioned in your (very long) OP. And it's really been "Open Season" on young black males for a long time. They have the highest murder rates of any demographic in the US by a fairly large margin. Most are killed by other young black males (anybody remember U2 and their controversy?) "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 squashed a Toyota MR2 once. It was about 2 weeks old. "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

For my silly stuff (FB, here, car forums, ect) I have one basic password with minor variations. Serious stuff (anything that involves money) gets "real" passwords. "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

Factors to consider when choosing a container (In order of imporatnce): Fit - Does the harness fit you? Can it be resized to fit you? Reserve canopy size - Does a reserve of the appropriate size fit properly? Main canopy size - Does a main of the appropriate size fit properly? Options - Do you want hip rings, spacer foam, or any other bells & whistles? Brand - There is enough similarity between brands that it really isn't that important. Unless you are an unusual body size (really big or really small), you will be better served buying used for the first rig. The two biggest reasons are your lack of skill/potential damage and depreciation. You have a much better chance of having a bad landing and scuffing, staining or damaging the rig on landing. Many jumpers don't end up keeping their first rig forever. Most jumpers will downsize from their first canopy. If you buy a used rig and take good care of it, you will be able to sell it for most of what you paid for it. Buying new will cost a bunch in depreciation when you eventually sell it. Buying a rig that will hold the canopy you "will get to eventually" will cause a lot of frustration packing and potentially damage the rig due to overstuffing it. Buying a rig that will hold the future reserve will make your rigger hate you, potentially endanger you (reserve might hang up when you need it most) and potentially cause damage from overstuffing. Put the word out at your DZ that you are looking. Some places have that "First Rig" that the new guys keep selling down the line. Get help. Many riggers are willing to sit down with you and help you figure out what you need. And make sure you get anything you buy inspected by a qualified person before you buy it. There are unscrupulous sellers passing off old junk as "good gear for a first timer." "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

Ahhh. A specific question. Short answer: Probably not. There's too many things that could be a factor that are outside the maker's control. How it was treated, both in the air and on the ground, how it was stored, did something get spilled on it, did sand or dirt get into in, accelerating the wear. Lots of variables. If it was defective, it should have broken sooner. Maybe. Worst case, give them a call or shoot an e-mail and see what they say. "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 ABOUT SQUARE 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

I don't think it would be horrible to have background checks for the transfer of guns. This could be facilitated by any FFL same as if they were selling a gun themselves, but the record keeping responsibility becomes that of the seller. As for "enforcing" it I'm thinking the same laws that apply to FFLs would apply to the seller (the previous owner) in private, person to person firearms sales along with the same punishments for non-compliance. Probably need to carve out an exemption for directly inherited weapons. Well, California has a requirement along those lines. They require a FFL transfer for any private party purchase. And, from what I have heard, it has gotten either difficult or expensive to have it done. The law set requirements for FFL dealers to offer transfers for people, but my understanding is that they are largely being ignored. Having records of all the transfers also opens the door to total registration. Given previous experience with that (in California among other places) that will be vigorously opposed. Some sort of "Buyer's Card" or Firearms Owner ID card would be an option. It shows that the person has passed a background check and is legal to buy a gun. It doesn't track the actual sale of the gun, so no registration issues. The seller could record the card number as proof that the buyer was legal to acquire the gun. And it is currently illegal to sell (or in any way provide) a gun to someone who is known to the seller to be ineligible to own one. Those crimes are prosecuted at a rate slightly higher than attempts to purchase by prohibited persons. "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

Is that you, Milton? I was going to ask if someone stole his stapler. "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 have been a few different answers, which is typical, because different people have different opinions. Most people in recovery (as Catfish said) avoid any and all mind or mood altering substances. And as was mentioned, they can lurk in a lot of places. Mouthwash, cold medicines (Nyquil is 21% alcohol), flavor extracts, and a bunch of others. Cooking usually boils the alcohol off, so stuff like beer battered fish or wine used in a sauce won't contain the actual alcohol, but many avoid them to avoid the taste. So called "Non-Alcoholic Beer" actually does contain a small amount of it, throw in the taste and most consider it a bad idea. Then there are things like prescription painkillers (narcotic). There's a huge difference of opinion on those. Some feel that they shouldn't ever be used, others say that as long as they are taken as prescribed, for the pain and not to get high, then they are ok. That's a very personal decision and up to the individual. The whole concept of recovery, however, is to learn to live life without needing to use. Stuff like beer commercials, liquor stores, bars, beer displays at convenience and grocery stores, ect. don't disappear. There will always be some level of temptation, unless he moves to Greenland or something. And then some Eskimo will probably show up with a bottle. Someone who doesn't even want to talk about it because it raises too many demons is troubling, because they are often "white knuckling" it, holding on by sheer willpower. And that isn't something that will last forever. The need to sometimes be around it is unavoidable for most. Weddings, business gatherings, sporting events, even just going out to dinner where the next table has a glass of wine. Most in recovery find that the obsession is lifted, at least to some degree. It never completely goes away, but the freedom of being able to live life without fear of a random event triggering a binge is what it's really about. And the term "Rock Bottom" is a misnomer. That implies that the alcoholic can't go any lower. Many stop before that, which is their own "Bottom." Someone who decides that they've had enough before they lose everything, before they end up in prison, before they kill someone. Lucky's friend may get stopped for DUI and decide that's enough. His wife may say "If you don't quit, I'm leaving" and that may be enough. Or he could wake up one morning and decide that he is "sick and tired of being sick and tired" and seek help. Every bottom is different. It's said to newcomers that "Your bottom is where you decide to stop digging. If you decide to go back out, you can always dig yourself deeper." True "Rock Bottom" is six feet down. You can't dig yourself any deeper than the grave. "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 doesn't work that way. You aren't asking them to fix the same problem over and over again. You aren't asking them to fix something you should know how to fix yourself. If you are doing solos, anyone on the plane is a good choice. "Anyone" can also include the pilot. Obviously, you don't want to do that until the plane is stopped; but weather holds, end of day, or shutdowns between loads if it isn't too busy are all options. For someone who isn't too outgoing, it's actually a good way to force yourself to reach out and meet people. There may be a few jerks who do it grudgingly, but you don't have to ask them again. Try not to focus too hard on the cute women. Most people don't mind. I'm always happy to do it. As was said, once you are jumping with other people, you usually will end up doing the "log book hand around" after the jump. "Hey, will you sign my log book?" "Yeah, will you sign mine?" If I'm doing several jumps with the same group, I try to get everyone in the group to sign eventually. "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 opposed to posting an ad for a TV or a motorcycle? True to a large degree. There are lots of "Craig's List Robbery Horror Stories" out there. But guns are an attractive target, similar to jewelry, IMHO. Small, high value, easy to sell. Unlike a TV (big, hard to stick in a pocket) or a motorcycle (title records and registration requirements make it harder to sell) "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's a good point! I'll keep that in mind. I'm still a bit confused if the AFF + 30 jumps gets me an A-licence or not. What's involved in getting a FS1 Pixie mentioned? If I can catch a ride up in the sky am I allowed to jump only solo without FS1? If someone has a clear chart of all of these stages with them explained, I'd appreciate one. And thanks for all the answers!

Legal? Under certain circumstances, yes. But not everywhere. Most places allow "private party purchase" of firearms if the sale doesn't cross state lines. Some don't. California, for example, requires background checks and a formal dealer transfer for any firearms transfer. If the sale crosses state lines, then the federal laws apply and the transfer must be made through a licensed dealer. This was one of the big issues last year with all the new laws that were proposed (and ultimately failed). Good idea? That's a whole different question. How smart is it to post an ad for a gun? That tells everyone in the world what you have and where you are? I volunteer as a range officer at a local shooting range, and I've seen a few people arrange to meet a potential buyer there. Neutral location, a place where the buyer can try the gun out, preserves the sellers security. And perfectly legal. I know people who won't sell a gun themselves. They either sell it directly to a dealer or sell it on consignment through a local dealer. They lose some money, but the potential security risk makes it worth it to 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'd try to get them directly from SSK. http://www.sskinc.com/ "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

To somewhat repeat what I replied above, have you EVER had to DEAL with someone you know getting killed by a drunk driver? It really sucks. If the drunk person wishes to drink, that's their problem. It is horrible for the family and friends. BUT... If the drunk person chooses to get behind the wheel of a car and put the rest of the world in danger... That's a different situation. "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 he's routinely driving drunk and ends up killing someone, was it still "nunya"? "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 knew a guy who lived in a really bad part of Oakland CA. He didn't lock his car, but still had someone smash a window to break in (too lazy to try the door first?), so he got in the habit of leaving a window down too. Every so often he had to kick a bum out, but he said he'd just shake them awake and tell them to go find somewhere else. "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