wolfriverjoe

Yep. Sangi used to say the exact same thing. Have you thought that you may well end up paralyzed and in a wheelchair for the rest of your life? "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 own, even a little, you have to pay interest for having money that is not yours. I didn't check it, but I think I am on the safe side if I assume that the interest that you'll have to pay the bank for lending you money is higher than the interest they'll pay you for putting yours in their pockets. Otherwise I'll get a loan, and I'll pay the interests of that loan with the interests that this loan is generating in my bank. I would become rich very fast. This is about taxes owed, not borrowing from a bank. In the US, as long as taxes are paid somewhat throughout the year, there is no interest owed. Most pay by having money withheld from their paychecks. Self-employed have to file and pay quarterly estimates. The $6k mentioned above is overpayment that is refunded after the paperwork is filed. Some people look at it as a windfall, and anticipate being able to spend a large sum of cash. It's really a "forced savings" account, where they give the money to the government to hold onto at zero interest paid. I know people who say, more or less: "I know I could get a little interest by saving it myself, but I wouldn't leave it in the bank, I'd spend it a little at a time." Personally, I aim for +/- $200 - $300. And I usually hit it pretty close. This year I'm getting $15 back net (owe a little federal, refunding a little state). That's pretty close. "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

Did anyone else hear about... "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 may be debatalbe but one thing is for sure Voting Dem is far worse I used to think so. I really did. But these days I really don't see much difference. Andy is right. The behavior of them, combined with the positions that are moving further to the right have driven me away. And I'm not the only one. We may be approaching a crossroads. Where the Ds and Rs drive enough people away to create a different and viable alternative. It's happened in the past. I was hoping it was happening with the Tea Party, but it git co-opted by the social conservatives. "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... No. I'm fairly conservative. More Libertarian than actual Republican, but I've voted mostly R for all of my life. Until lately. They have moved away from me. "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 are in denial Marc. The war on women is coming from those who make preposterous statements about female physiology. And who are trying very hard to ban abortion. The Rs in general are out of touch. Look at a lot of Romney's statements. Here in Wisconsin, the governor is gutting education while giving tax breaks to the rich. The extremism in the primary elections pretty much guarantees that the final candidate will be unelectable (although that isn't confined to the Rs). That fact alone would guarantee that Reagan would never make it out of the primaries. The Tea Party would cut him to ribbons over his spending record. And the Tea Party has pretty much marginalized itself. They started off with a fairly good idea, fiscal responsibility. But then blew themselves up when they decided that social responsibility (as long as you agreed with their view of it) was a part of their platform. I agreed with them at the beginning, but they lost me when they decided to dictate morals. It isn't the media that is making the ridiculous statements. They are just reporting them. The "media bias" card has been shown to be false. If not, why do the Ds want to "equalize" talk radio? I've voted R for most of my life. Even for GWB. Although that was far, far more an "against the other guy" than a "for" vote. But I can't anymore. The Rs have become as much of a "Do as I say, not as I do" and "Do what we say, we know best, even though we don't apply it to ourselves" elitist party as the Ds. "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

Right there in the Colorado SuperMax too. Well said, supermax this loon. Just out of curiosity, why put him in Supermax? It's a very expensive choice. Generally reserved for prisoners who present a great deal of danger to guards or other prisoners, or who are a serious escape risk. I don't see this guy as any of that. Put him in regular max, or even medium. In general population. That would be more of a "punishment" than Supermax. "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 point. I was thinking more about keeping him away from the fake DZ ads. I didn't think about a tandem mill. "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 got a custom Infinty brand new 2 years ago. If it gets wrecked or stolen or something else, I'd get another one in a heartbeat. I like the pin protection, riser protection, and comfort of it. But a lot of people have other brands of rigs and they like them 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

Step one: Go to either the USPA site or the Dropzone locater here on DZ.com. Find the closest DZ (or maybe more than one) to you. Find out when they are open. Step two:GO OUT THERE. Find what's called "Manifest." That's the office, window or desk where you check in. Say to the nice person there: "I'd like to learn how to skydive. How do I go about doing that?" You may or may not want to do a tandem first. Some training programs have it built in, others do not. It will give you an idea of what it's like with an experienced instructor strapped to you. Warning #1 - There is a scam out there that puts out ads that pretend to be dropzones all over the country. Those DZs are fictitous. They sell "gift certificates" that are only redeemable at certain places. You may end up driving several hours (and past several legit DZs) to redeem that GC. DO NOT purchase a GC over the phone. GO TO THE DZ IN PERSON BEFORE LAYING OUT ANY MONEY. Warning #2 - Even at a legit DZ, be prepared to pay a lot of money to participate in this sport. It is very addictive and not cheap. But well worth it. Welcome and good luck. "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 tons of argument about AFF vs S/L. If you've done any research, you'll know that AFF gets you to freefall faster, but S/L is a good bit less expensive per jump. I did S/L myself, but I don't think that I'm better off or worse off over an AFF grad. Both methods put you in the same place at the end. You still have to have the same minimum of jumps and demonstrate the same skills no matter which way you go. Most folks suggest training where you are going to be doing most of your jumping (local DZ). It allows you to build relationships with the rest of the jumpers there. They get to know you, your strengths and weaknesses. You also get the opportunity to show how much you are willing to help out and what your overall attitude is. This will help further down the road, as opposed to coming in cold as a newly licensed jumper wanting to get on loads. "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

Right. A teenage gang-banger shoots his grandfather in the back with a stolen gun and then uses the proceeds to get a tattoo and sneakers. Or an estranged husband shoots his soon-to-be ex-wife. That's kind of where the "Family or Friend" thing falls apart. "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

Cute. Starts out like the Total Perspective Vortex, then devolves to 7th grade. "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

Sure: It was an opportunity to do something I had never done before and had always wanted to do. As I was coming down under canopy from that first static line jump, the sensations were overwhelming. But the prevalent thought was "I have got to do that again." So I did. It was a group "get together" sort of jump, and I did my first jump on the second annual one. We are planning the 13th annual jump for this summer. And in those 13 years, there are only 2 of us that kept going and became "real" skydivers. I do it for a lot of different reasons. Some of them make more sense than others, but that's ok. The "adrenaline rush" is actually pretty low on the list. I don't need to scare the crap out of myself to have fun. The joy of being in the air, the sense of accomplishment when I achieve certain goals on a jump, the challenge of getting it right the next time when I don't. The camaraderie of a group of people unlike any others I have ever been a part of. Those are more important than "cheating death." Because you can only cheat death so many times, and you never know which one will be the last until it's too late. I have enough fun and excitement just jumping and flying the canopy that I don't need to push the envelope very hard. I fly a conservative wingloading, and keep my jumps within (or just a little bit beyond) my skill level. Including the canopy flight. For me, the most important jump is the next one. And to get to that one, I have to make it through the one I'm on safely. So if I have any serious concerns, due to wind, my mental state or whatever, I will sit down. I'd rather sit out a few jumps and be able to jump again tomorrow or next weekend or whenever, than have to make this jump and maybe sit out the rest of the season. The other guy who was with the group I started with (and with whom I organize the group these days) made that mistake 2 years ago. He had to push it a little bit too hard. He had to take a little bit more risk. He had to get a little bit more rush on a jump. And flew his canopy into the ground. Broke himself pretty badly (at the end of May) and spent the rest of the summer either in a wheelchair or on crutches. He's still jumping, and has mostly learned his lesson. But he'll never get that season back, and will be feeling the damage he did for the rest of his life. As a funny thought - He was having hip pain a couple months ago. He went to the doc and it seems he has a screw loose (in his pelvis). Everyone who knows him laughed and said something to the effect of "Yeah, we know that, but what was causing the pain?" "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 go back and look. A Raven Dash M loaded at almost 2:1. Good luck with that if you ever need 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

Just to quibble, my 1972 Subaru definitely had 3-point seat belts. To me, device dependence isn't as much refusing to jump without an AAD. There can be valid reasons for it, like the insurance analogy. However, changing how you jump because you have an AAD is. And that's stupid. It's like driving like a moron because you have collision insurance. Wendy P. And just to quibble a little bit more - 1972 was 41 years ago. In 1981, 3 point was mandatory for the front seats. "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

Just out of curiosity - Does the DZ know how much experience you have? Have any DZs told you that you can't jump that canopy at their DZ? You know you are way ahead of the recommended progression, what rationale are you using? Lots of coaching? Experience with fast motorcycles (cars or something) that give you an edge? Natural talent and fast learner? I really hope you don't get hurt, but more importantly, I hope you don't take anyone else out if you 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

I have no facts or figures, but anecdotal information says that terminal for a cat is pretty slow. There's quite a few high fall survivals that are pretty amazing. And there's a "dead zone" for lower falls. It seems like a cat can survive a low fall as if it jumped down. A fall that is too high to land from a jump will injure or kill it. The position it assumes during the acceleration part (kind of spread-eagled) keeps it from being able to land well. BUT... Once it reaches terminal and can't feel the "fall" anymore, it resumes a normal body position and can survive the landing, sometimes with a broken jaw from it's face hitting the ground, sometimes unhurt. The "dead zone" is from 1 to 2 stories up. They usually don't survive a fall of that height. But they often do survive from 3 stories or higher. "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

Just a little? "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

Scroll up. See Lawrocket. He said that Loughner wasn't considered insane as far as law enforcement and the government were concerned. And he wasn't . He hadn't done anything to show up on their radar. Should his parents have had him committed? Maybe. Should the government do "insanity tests" on all prospective gun purchasers? Sounds good, but how? It's already been established that it's very difficult (if not impossible) to determine who is going to be violent in the future. And then there's that little thing called "privacy", you know the "obstacle" Obama referred to. So how do you protect the public from the few without infringing on the rights of the many? "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 would require a lot of work on his "Short Field Landing" technique. "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

Ya great idea! Let's mix in dummy rigs with perfectly good rigs because that's a great way to ensure safety and training! There is absolutely zero chance that someone grabs a dummy rig and hops on the plane with it right?! I mean, come on, accidents never happen in skydiving!!!!! The rigger should maintain a list of what's wrong with each rig, and check it all off before the rigs are allowed back out of the loft. Another plan is after everyone identifies the problem, most of which can be fixed easily... fix them on the spot. Or you could put a big red "X" on the training dummy rigs. Worked for DB Cooper, didn't it? Seriously, to the OP - This is where hanging out after jumping or going out to the DZ on days you know the weather is too bad to jump is beneficial. Hang out with the riggers and the packers and pick their brains. Watch them do their work. Most will be happy to help you learn, it's becoming a rarity that new jumpers want to understand their gear 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

Oops, missed the "other angle" part. I'm pretty tired.

Crazy people shouldn't have easy access to guns. Well, the thread was originally about Loughner. And he was subjected to the standard background checks that you want applied to every transfer. So was Holmes in Colorado and Cho in Virginia. And Lanza stole the weapons from his mom, whom he murdered. Those weapons had been purchased with the standard checks. How would expanding the background checks to every transfer have stopped any of those? How do you expect to identify "Crazy People" who haven't committed any violent act? "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 an interesting twist on this. My current employer offers benefits both to spouses and to domestic partners. I'm pretty sure the packages are identical. For DPs it doesn't require a civil union or any other formal state-issued legal document; it just requires that the employee sign an affidavit stating that they are in a domestic partnership (with lots of specific terms defining what that is). That's available to both opposite-sex and same-sex DPs. I believe that by law (can't recall if it's CA or US law) if they offer DP benefits to same-sex couples they also have to offer them to opposite-sex couples. It'll be interesting to see if same-sex marriage becomes fully legal nationally whether we'll see DP benefits go away altogether (under the premise that marriage is now available to everyone), or whether employers will continue to provide benefits to those in committed relationships outside of marriage. It was a lot more complex than "It's a big pain in the ass to offer 2 packages." It was more along the lines of "It's a great big pain in the ass to offer equal benefits when the rules are different for different couples." One thing I remember was that married couples get joint benefits under different tax rules than domestic partnerships. Story: http://www.npr.org/2013/03/26/175350841/its-bad-for-business-employers-side-with-doma-opponents?ft=1&f=1001 "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