wolfriverjoe

First off, what does one have to do with the other? India is seeing a big spike. They have vaccinated very few, opened up their society and are now paying the price. I'm not aware that any new variants have popped up there (yet) - If someone knows of more virulent variants, or ones that the vaccines are ineffective against, I welcome correction. They're actually seeing a smaller per capita spike than we did here in the US back around Christmas. They are seeing a lot more deaths, but that's mostly because their health care system isn't as extensive as the US. The fuel shortage is more due to panic buying than the actual shortage. Remember the "Great Toilet Paper Shortage" last year? Same shit. Too many people thinking they need to fill up every damned gas can they can get their hands on. The pipeline is shut down because of 'ransomware terrorists.' Russians who have locked up the computers that control the pipeline. Like Gowlerk, I've heard that the pipeline should be back operational by the weekend. It will take a few days for the supply chain to catch up. Not sure how this is even close to "SHTF". Are there rioters in the streets screaming for gasoline? Are there hordes of thugs coming up towards your retreat? Are people shooting each other in the lines at the gas stations? YOU are the one who chose to abandon society. YOU are the one who moved up to the mountains. I thought you were all prepared for "SHTF". But now you don't have enough gas to get to the doctor? My understanding of the 'security breach' is that it's standard ransom ware. They infect the computer and shut it down until they are paid. Maybe now the government will take this seriously. I understand that Biden has told Putin that he needs to crack down on these types. Of course, there's no way they could operate in Russia without his (at least tacit) approval. They aren't likely actual Russian government operatives, but they are at least paying protection money to the Russian mafia. Maybe, as noted above, having a US President who was basically Putin's lapdog wasn't a good idea. Gotta wonder what Trump would have done had this happened when he was in office.

My understanding (and I welcome correction if I'm wrong) is that jumpers are generally required to have a license from the organization overseeing the country they live in. Those licenses are usually accepted by DZs in other countries when visiting. As a US resident, I need a USPA license to jump in the US. As a German resident (according to his profile), the OP would need a German license to jump in Germany. Neither of us would be able to jump in our home countries with, say, a Bulgarian license. I don't know how it would work for, say, a German resident to jump in the US with a Bulgarian license. I looked in an older copy of the SIM and can't find where (if) it addresses this.

They don't care about polls. They don't care about reality. They know full well that big business, who have spent the last 40 years buying the Republican party, won't support Trump or the Rs aligned with him. They don't care about that either. They only care about the "Trump faithful." The 70 million plus who voted for Trump. Who think the election was 'stolen'. Who are dumb enough to keep giving money.

I'd prefer not to be. But I strongly suspect that we haven't seen how low the GOP can go. Trying to find bamboo in the ballots in Arizona is the current level of stupidity. I don't doubt they will exceed it. No clue how, but I'm pretty sure they'll find a way. https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/laurieroberts/2021/05/06/arizona-election-audit-now-searching-bamboo-our-ballots/4974025001/

Well, DeSantis' idiocy is having some repercussions. Part of the Executive Order he put in place last month prohibits businesses from requiring vaccinations (or proof of it). The cruise ships have an issue with that. Both the CDC recommendations and the Cruise Lines themselves are insisting on it. So at least one is threatening to pull out of Florida if they can't ensure passengers are vaccinated. Among other reasons, many places the ships put into for port calls are foreign countries, places that require visitors to be vaccinated. Not to mention the Covid outbreaks on ships last spring. Story: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/5/7/2029437/-Norwegian-Cruise-Lines-will-pull-ships-out-of-Florida-if-required-to-take-unvaccinated-passengers?fbclid=IwAR3qU9cut64JJpas1kYHcVPaFPKGo59qAjE01J_YBcNKAYEgLYcJ7Av6D4g On a different note, a school district near me had the school board decide to lift ALL Covid Restrictions. All of them. Masks, distancing, even quarantine rules for those testing positive. As soon as that went public, school sports started getting cancelled. The opposing teams said they weren't going to show up to play if there were zero rules. At least some folks aren't completely stupid. https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/local-news/cancelled-games-in-luxemburg-casco-after-lifting-covid-restrictions/

Wanna bet?

Are they aggressive? There was a flock of turkeys in my neighborhood a few years back. They showed up in the fall and hung out (river a block away, parks, cemetery and lots of small wooded areas). They got picked of one at a time by cars, until they didn't get out of the way of a freight train one day (that was a big mess). There was one tom left. He got pretty big and was known for chasing kids. And the mail carrier. He'd attack her truck whenever he saw it. Not his reflection in it, but the wheel or the door. We named him 'Kevin' for some reason. And 'nice try' on the thread title. I had a feeling it was about birds.

As noted above, you need the license from the national organization where you live. For example, I live in the US and have a USPA license. I can take that license and visit other places and jump. As another example, Canadians with CSPA licenses can come to the US and jump on those. You seem to be from Germany. I don't know what organization oversees Germany, but you'll need a license from them if you live there. If you go to, say, Spain (where the weather is really nice and they have some great DZs and excellent instructors), you'll get a license from them. You would then go home and work with a local DZ to get a license from your national organization. Typically, converting a license from one organization to another is mostly paperwork. I would talk to your local DZ to find out what they would require to convert the license from somewhere else.

Not quite sure what your question is. You're having some difficulties. You're overthinking it a little bit. Tunnel time will help. But, mostly you need to listen to your instructors. Don't be so focused on the destination that you forget to enjoy the journey.

What I am

Well, these sorts of things take a bit of time to put together. And a President and AG who actually give a shit about the rule of law and Civil rights. As opposed to a President who calls Nazis & KKK "very fine people".

Right. Sure you're not.

Nahh. He's arguing with people who don't think words should be redefined to what one wants them to mean. And as far as 'behavior control' and 'thought control', the worst offenders throughout history on those little gems have been... Organized religion.

Four years probation. Really. https://coloradosun.com/2021/05/05/loveland-police-officer-scott-gudmundsen-probation/?utm_source=The+Colorado+Sun+Newsletters&utm_campaign=9676a7aafd-SUNRISER_2021-05-05&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_61e0bd63dc-9676a7aafd-66910994&mc_cid=9676a7aafd&mc_eid=d06540572c On the 'plus' side, it's a felony conviction. So he's prohibited from owning guns.

You sound like you want to be fairly thorough. Good for you. I know a few people who simply write "Two way with 'X'" and call it good. I also know people who fill up the entire page with details about the jump. I'm not quite that anal, but pretty close. What I typically do is to start the entry after the dirt dive while waiting for the plane to come down. Names of people, planned exit, planned points on the jump. I use the actual names of the formations (I don't use the letter designations). It might be, for example, "Bow exit, then round, then satellite, then break in center and spin pairs, back to satellite, back to round. After the jump, I'll write down what really happened. Also, any notable things about the rest of the jump. Usually a note about the quality of the landing pattern and actual landing, anything unusually good or bad, anything I want to remember. Generally, I'll record: Who was on the jump. Usually just first names. What was supposed to happen (done before the jump). What actually happened. This is NEVER the same as what was planned. Opening quality, perhaps with a quick note about anything different I tried when packing for that jump. How good the pattern was (or wasn't). General accuracy (not in feet, but 'close' or 'not close' or something like that). And anything else that was noteworthy. This could be something that was said or happened on the plane, something really cool or really bad in freefall (diving down and getting to my spot is cool, nearly having a high speed collision is bad), something under canopy (I've had an eagle fly past me while I was under canopy, that was really cool). It's your logbook and your entry. Write down whatever you want. As much or as little. I don't know anyone who regrets writing down too much. I know a few who regret writing too little.

Fortunately the FBI and Justice Dept seem to think it was criminal behavior. 500 arrested. And counting. One plea deal announced. Betcha there will be a lot more. Kinda funny that the first plea deal made public involved an "Oath Keeper". I wonder if part of that 'Oath' he swore was to maintain loyalty to the group.

Makes one wonder how they pronounce it.

Despite the court rulings, Washington DC still has some very strict gun laws. A few of the idiots were arrested before the insurrection attempt for possession of magazines that were of illegal size. The message was pretty clear.

CYPRES

Fortunately Biden seems to have learned from that lesson. He remains open to compromise, and TRIES TO offer the Rs a 'seat at the table'. But since all they seem to want to do is (figuratively) smear mashed potatoes and gravy all over the table cloth, he doesn't allow them to destroy his plans. He moves forward without them.

It's a pop music thing. "WAP" stands for 'wet ass pussy'. Cardi B is the artist, and did a (fully dressed) imitation of lesbian sex with another female artist on stage at the Grammy awards show. The conservatives went nuts (predictably). Funny how the word 'pussy' is offensive when preceded by 'wet ass', yet not so when preceded by 'grab them by the'. Yet the first implies consensual activity, while the second is pretty clearly a crime.

Considering that Putin pulled back the troops from the Ukrainian border after Biden told him to, considering that the US has imposed some pretty serious sanctions on them, I'd say the policy is a lot less 'flaccid' than the Trump policy of sucking up to Putin. And Trump failed at even that.

Shame that they chose the wrong side.

Happens.

Apparently, bragging about being part of the insurrection attempt is NOT a good way to impress women. https://www.npr.org/2021/04/23/990218018/bumble-blunder-man-allegedly-boasts-about-capitol-riot-on-dating-app-is-arrested