wolfriverjoe

You're about 25 years behind. Two shots and a splash is a "Leon Klinghofer" (google it if you are curious and young). "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

In some ways, yes. Could an attempt to surrender by OBL have been misinterpereted by the SEALs? Could it have been deliberately misinterpereted? Sure. But OBL, unlike Diallo, was a known bad guy, known to be familiar with weapons, known to have combat skills, and on and on. "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, he was. When you enter the a room and bullets fly at you, you eliminate the threats, a man reaching for a gun, is a threat, a man posturing, is a threat. A man with a record of killing with out remorse, is a threat and if he makes a move, eliminate the threat. Matt Is a man lying in bed with his wife next to him also a threat. I guess so when your orders are "shoot to kill". Yes a man "lying in bed" can be a threat. I know I certainly can be. I have several different (and different types) of weapons available to me in bed. If someone accosts me in bed and is foolish enough to think that "lying in bed" means I'm not a threat, then he is in trouble. OBL had serious combat experience in Afghanistan during the Soviet war. I find it perfectly reasonable for the SEALs to assume that he had weapons close at hand while in bed. If I was in that situation, anything other than immediate and complete compliance ("Show me your hands and don't move at all") would be met with immediate application of deadly force. And I find it hard to believe that: The SEALs were given "Shoot to kill" orders. Taking him alive would have been better for a number of reasons. Those orders would also most likely have been illegal. The SEALs do a bunch of stuff that is on both sides of the legal line, but to put the order out in a direct fashion is pretty unlikely. That the SEALs "stood up and cheered" when given the order. The ones I have met (I have met a handful of Spec-Ops types) would not have done that. They would have stood quietly and smiled that smile that they have. The one they use when they get turned completely loose. The really scary one. The news reports are still very confused and conflicting right now. I've heard on NPR that the helo that crashed was supposed to be used to take out the residents of the compound that were left behind, while the source you posted said that there were 2 primary and 2 backup helos. I;m more inclined to believe the "backup" idea than the "take prisoners out" idea for now, but there really isn't any way to know what's right and what's wrong yet. "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

Check with Mike from Chutingstar, I know he used to de escrow/inspection services for private individuals looking to sell gear. Sellers ship gear to him, he inspects gear and if it passes, notifies the buyer and holds the gear awaiting payment. Once he recieves the money, he'll ship the gear and forward the money to the seller. I'm not sure if he ships international or not, but it's worth a check... Paul, known as 'Likestojump' on DZ.com does a ton of used gear sales, and a good portion of it is international. He has a good reputaion, and I know him peronsally as he lives 20 min across town from me. He's a good guy to deal with, and I wouldn't make that reccomendation unless I knew him personally. Others will back that up based on dealing with him, but I make it based on knowing him for years. You could also contact the big gear dealers in the states, they often times have good used gear in stock. Square One and the Sunshine Factory come to mind, both have benn in business for 15 or 20 years, and are safe to deal with. It's entirely possible to buy used gear internationally and be safe. The problem with Gary was that the deals were too good to be true. If you're dealing with a person or business with a good reputation, and looking to make a 'fair' deal, it can be done. If someone has the 'deal of the century', but it's across the world and they want you to wire money into their girlfriends account, then you might have a problem. Even if the dealer is local and the price is too good to be true, that's another sign that you might want to be cautious. Shoot likestojump a PM, tell him what you're looking for, and see if he has anything for you. (Bolding mine) +1 on Chutingstar. Escrow is free, inspections are reasonably priced. It is possible to purchase safely, if you are careful. Use a bit of common sense, make sure the seller understands you are gun-shy after being burned, and don't be afraid to walk away from any deal that smells at all funny. Most legit sellers should be willing to do an escrow deal with a reputable dealer. If not, then you should wonder what they are hiding. Search "rigger as escrow" to find more details on how this is done. Or just shoot an e-mail out to Chutingstar. They were very prompt in their responses, and very patient and helpful in answering my stupid questions. "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

Wisconsin has a "Minimum Markup Law" for gasoline. It isn't to prevent the use of gasoline as a "loss leader" (sold at a loss to draw in customers) but to prevent the big conglomerates from forcing the "mom and pop" places out of business by undercutting prices. "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

Mechanic's gloves are nice too. Available at any car parts or "Big Box Home Improvement" store (Lowe's, Home Depot, ect.) They aren't the warmest available, but they have great "feel" and are nice and "grippy". If they aren't warm enough, then a pair of "doctor gloves" (either latex or nitrile) underneath will block the wind and keep your hands warm. "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

Those monsters were children once too. Someone taught them. You know, I thought about that... That the perpetrators were once brainwashed as well and that it was all a vicious cycle... Except that I believe there is a point in your life where you cannot just keep doing/thinking what you were taught without being responsible for your own actions. There is a point where you *are* able to critically evaluate/question things. Children cannot do this, but adults can. You are only able to think critically if you have been taught to do so. North Korea is a great (although rather extreme) example of this. The people have been indocrinated for their entire lives that the government must be in complete control of everything. That's all they know. Many of the refugees that escape can't grasp the concept of free markets, capitalism, or even free speech. They didn't like what they left behind, but are moving into a world that is entirely alien to what they know. "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 a bit of difference between large, crew-served weapons, or explosive devices and "personal weapons." Most rifles (incuding .50 cal sniper rifles) fall under the "personal weapons" category. In the military, they are issued on an individual basis, and the individual that was issued the weapon is responsible for it (both "care & maintenance" and "breaking or losing" kinds of responsibility) You specifically mentioned AR-15s as "stuff in between". In between "Normal Hunting Weapons" and large crew served weapons? ARs in .223 are considered in many states as "Too small for deer sized game" AR platforms in various calibers are becoming very popular for hunting. While I fully agree that large crew served stuff and anything that goes "Boom" (RPGs, M-203's, hand grenades, ect) should be restricted, I don't like the idea of states and cities being able to decide which firearms are "good" and which are "bad". That's the whole point of the 2nd amendment. "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

Some H/C manufacturers seem to imply that by their Argus bans. They don't disallow using their rigs without an AAD, yet they banned Argus units, ergo, they seem to imply no AAD is better than Argus AAD (unless they think otherwise, and it's really just about covering their back in possible lawsuits)... The way I see it, no AAD won't lock the reserve container closed, rendering the reserve unusable. The various issues with the Vigils (door openings causing firings) and CYPRESs (bad sensors causing firing), while not good things, didn't interfere in any way with the functioning of the container. No AAD is far better than a locked reserve. The chances are probably small (although no one really knows, there isn't enough data), but I understand the manufacturers not being willing to have an AAD that has been demonstrated to prevent the use of the reserve, while allowing Vigils that have been demonstrated to fire at inappropriate 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

Try 100KB. Really. I just tried to upload a good sized picture (1MB) and got: "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 video still scares the bejeus out of me. I think it's the manaical laughter at the end that completes it.... that and the scream of 'Fuuuuck!' as the student pulls the rip cord. The maniacal laughter is a pretty understandable reaction to the situation. It's a "Holy Shit I coulda died and didn't" laugh. And yes, it has scared the living crap out of me since I first saw it almost 2 years ago. I often take S/L students up as the pilot, or ride the plane with them aboard (the JM tosses them out and we go all the way up). It seems so simple, but there's a lot that can go wrong. Fortunately the "wrongs" are pretty rare. And proper packing can help prevent a lot of 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

This. The file size has to be pretty small. This site uses older formatting. It shows in the appearance of the forums, the emoticons available and the file sizes for pics and e-mail. This is NOT a complaint, simply a statement. If it was a complaint, I'd ask for my money 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

The one tandem? I thought you said AFF. Lots of places do a tandem or two to start off AFF. "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 like it. Dark and forboding, the subject has his (your?) head down in a "beaten" manner. The red text is eye catching and the names on the face are powerful. I personally don't agree with the statement "If you aren't part of the solution, you are part of the problem". Are victims of bullying part of the problem? Are those who are unaware because the bullies are good at concealing it part of the problem? I'm not sure what would be a good replacement. Maybe something along the lines of "You don't have to hit to hurt someone" or "Sticks and stones will break my bones but words can break my spirit" But it's a really good start. "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

"Evolutionists often falsely accuse creationists of believing in a flat Earth. But neither history nor modern scholarship supports the claim that Christians ever widely believed that the Earth was flat. And the Bible doesn’t teach it." http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v16/i2/flatearth.asp People who believe in science often accuse the religionsists of "Geocentricity" (believeing the earth is the center of the universe). Gallileo almost died because of it. Others (can't think of any offhand right now) were put to death for heresy. Heresy that later proved to be correct science. "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's Europe got to do with the Salem Witch Trials brought up as an example earlier? Anyway, all of this is beside the point. None of those occurances were justifiable. Because the Salem Witch Trials were simply transplanted European beliefs. The Puritans had only been in the "New World" a few years (decades anyway) and were still using the same techniques. And they were perfectly justifiable under the beliefs of the time they occurred Beliefs based on interpretations of the very same Bible you read (presuming you use the standard KJV). Doens't it say in there somewhere about not suffering a witch to live? "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

Emphasis mine. The ones that are "militant atheists" are as bad as the devout religious. That's why I included it. I have my beliefs. They are simply my best understanding of God. They certainly aren't complete, and are more than likely wrong in a number of areas. But they don't involve me forcing them on others, or hurting others in God's name. Or even trying to "save" others by convincing them that my beliefs are the "One True Belief System" and anything else will get you a ticket to hell. Far, far too "Santa Claus" for me. Think about that one. "Do as we say and you go to Heaven. Don't do as we say and you go to Hell." "Be good and the fat guy in the red suit brings you presents. Be bad and he brings you coal." Notice any similarity?? "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

Ahh. But I have. Baptised in his name, Eaten of the body and drank of the blood. All that. So I'm good right?? (yes, I'm baiting you a little bit) I really don't have a problem with the beliefs. I do have a major problem with those that force their beliefs on others, or harm those who believe differently. Both of which were perfectly acceptable behaviors in Christianity until fairly recently. (Past few hundred years). And if I include "forcing their beliefs on others" to include deliberate lies to propogate the belief system (Like the Answersingenesis links you posted in the deleted thread), then the practice is going on today. "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

Something like that. Considering that there isn't even consensus in any major religion, or even the individual sects of any religion, getting people of different religions to agree is impossible. Throw in the entirely different belief systems (monotheism, polytheism, atheism, et al) and you have a discussion like this: "I'm right!" "No. I'm Right!" (repeat ad infinitum) And anybody who questions the belief system simply doesn't understand God. And is going to Hell. If there is one: Time Magazine "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

God's moral standard has not changed from Genesis to Revelation or until now...nor will it ever. God is the same in the past, present, and future. He does not change. That is one of his incommunicable attributes. Really? From "Stone those who do any work on the Sabbath" and striking down with fire those who dare to touch the Ark of the Covenant (OT) to "Turn the other cheek" and "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone"(NT)? You don't see any change there?? God may or may not have changed, but people's interpretation of him certainly has. "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 like this. On a similar note, I've had newer jumpers beating themselves up after a jump for "screwing it up". I always ask: "Did we land safely and unhurt?" "Did we learn anything?" "Did we have fun?" The answer is always "yes", and I reply: "Then it was a successful skydive." Everything else is details. I have never had a jump go exactly as planned. Some were close to the plan and others... Not so much. As long as I landed safely, had fun and learned something, then the jump was successful. "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 fact of it being a SB or AD is not at issue, I think. The fact that riggers must follow mfg instructions is the issue. They don't have to call it anything other than "do it this way" in order for riggers to be required to do it, correct? Some say that since AADs are not TSOd, that riggers are left to determine compatibility. If that were true, then even if a H/C mfg had always said that brand X AAD is not to be used in this rig, the individual rigger can still do what they want? The enforcement mechanism is by way of the FAA acting against a rigger for not following mfg instructions, right? I thought that ADs have to be followed by the user/skydiver, they are not just a requirement upon the rigger. Isn't that an important distinction? I'm not a rigger, and don't know the intricacies of the code of federal regulations, so of course I'd like to get educated by those that are more aware of such things. MY UNDERSTANDING (and I welcome any correction of my understanding) is that installation of an AAD (to include pockets and channels) is considered a modification. Even if the manufacturer does it, it is an alteration from the configuation that was TSO'd. That leaves it entirely up to the manufacturer to approve or not approve, or decide to rescind approval of a previously approved mod.(although the FAA can approve modifications, they usually don't unless there is no way to get manufacturer approval) If the manufacturer has rescinded approval, that rig isn't legal to jump until the modification has been removed. SBs can be recommendations or they can be mandatory (depends on the individual SB). But mandatory ones have the weight of "Maintained in Accordance with Manufacturer's Instructions" rules. SBs come from the manufacturer, ADs come from the government. Some require immediate action (rig cannot be jumped until complied with) others are "next I&R" items. Both have the weight of the law behind them. ADs just come directly from the FAA and have a little bit more "Oomph" because of that. Edit to add: You posted that e-mail while I was composing my message. Whoever wrote that is mistaken. There are MANDATORY SBs. And they have the full weight of the law behind them. The FAA issues ADs when they want to move faster than the manufacturer. Or cross over manufacturers. Or a variety of other reasons. "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 long have you been on here? And you still can't make a "clicky"? OTOH, Boob enhancing cookies... What a concept. If they came in chocoalte, they'd sell a gazillion of them. I also like the "Related Stories" and "Popular Content" areas. Cannibalism parties??? "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 scam that has come up before. They schedule, pay in advance with the CC#, and then cancel soon after. They want the refund sent directly to them, not credited to the CC#, which is either stolen or counterfeit. You've sent the refund, then you don't get paid for the original payment. It isn't any smarter than the "Cashier's Check for more than the amount, Western Union me back the difference" scams. I find it hard to believe that people still fall for these, but I guess they must or they wouldn't keep on doing 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

Nope, a flashlight is for taking photos in low light Even since ancient times a torch was used to light your way in the world; giving constant illumination ... a Flash light on the other hand make no sense... seems some around here ain't so bright Riiiight. If you have a first aid kit for your car, where do you keep it? In the boot? That's a perfectly logical place for you to put it. For some of us however, that would make for some mighty uncomfortable walking. "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